Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Lady Leave Me Alone!
I posted this on Instagram last night and had some really positive feedback. Should have been a blog from the beginning but you don't always know how these thoughts and ideas will evolve and grow on their own.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Abby Roadies Live @ Sandrini's
I had no intention of writing a review for the Abby Roadies show from this past Saturday night. I went down to Sandrini's for the sole purpose of shaking my booty and getting lost in music for a couple of hours. And believe me I did! But it was in the early morning hours while I was still under the music high the magical mystery spell cast by the Abby Roadies every time they perform that I saw a post on Facebook that said exactly what I was feeling at that instant. So this blog is really just to share this post and make sure it always has a it's own little home in the cyber world in case Sam Everett for some uknown reason ever deactivates his Facebook account. Here is what he said about the Abby Roadies show at Sandrini's posted April 15th at 2:10am:
"Decided I needed a date with a super hottie tonight...so I took myself to Sandrini's to check out the Abbey Roadies. You haven't lived until you've seen them play. You just haven't. You only think you're inhaling and exhaling right now. You only think you're functioning with a beating heart. You're not. You're dead. You're dead to me, at least. But you can fix this: GO SEE THEM AT SANDRINI'S JUNE 2ND!!!" This is exactly what I was feeling!!!!
That's right folks rumor has it The Abby Roadies will be back at Sandrini's June 2 to perform Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!!! If this goes down someone needs to video tape it because I will be out of town!
There is my review folks! Thank you Sam! Here's some pictures I'm really proud of!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Does It Taste Good?
Hey kids guess what? It's not always going to taste good. Until you get yourself convinced of the fact food is fuel not comfort you are not going to have the success you are trying to achieve in living healthy and losing weight.
I try new things all the time. I try them based on calories, serving size, cost, all kinds of factors. One of the last factors put into the equation is usually taste. I mean as long as it doesn't taste totally gross I'm willing to try it more than once if it has the fuel my body needs to sustain energy at any given point of the day.
90% of this living healthy kick is half mental. It's just mind over matter or in this case mind over taste.
I try new things all the time. I try them based on calories, serving size, cost, all kinds of factors. One of the last factors put into the equation is usually taste. I mean as long as it doesn't taste totally gross I'm willing to try it more than once if it has the fuel my body needs to sustain energy at any given point of the day.
90% of this living healthy kick is half mental. It's just mind over matter or in this case mind over taste.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
So when I feel like quitting.....
I have a lot of heroes in my life people who I look up to for strength and inspiration. Like many people I admire several sports figures: Jackie Robinson for his courage, Michael Jordan for his consistency, John Elway for his toughness just to name a few. However the athlete who inspires me most of all at this point and time in my life is Lance Armstrong.
When I'm on the elliptical at the gym I pretend I'm Lance on the mountains of France. I bounce up and down like a cyclist out of the saddle on a 4 hour climb. I can hear Phil Liggett's voice narrating my progress, reading the determination on my face. The sweat drips down my face onto the cobble stoned roads of the Champs Elysees. Over and over again there is a Lance Armstrong quote that repeats itself in my mind. Because believe me there is not a day where I don't think to myself "eh that's enough for today, maybe I'll quit early. Just today. Then this quote pops into my head:
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?”
So I push on. I push past the pain. First I ache, then I sweat, then comes the pain. Once you've pushed past the pain then the numbness sets in and you can ride the numbness till you've reached your goal for the day. When it's all done the sweet euphoria of having pushed yourself past pain into numbness is the best feeling in the world and I chase that everyday I'm at the gym.
Okay just wanted to share that with you guys. Oh here check this out!
When I'm on the elliptical at the gym I pretend I'm Lance on the mountains of France. I bounce up and down like a cyclist out of the saddle on a 4 hour climb. I can hear Phil Liggett's voice narrating my progress, reading the determination on my face. The sweat drips down my face onto the cobble stoned roads of the Champs Elysees. Over and over again there is a Lance Armstrong quote that repeats itself in my mind. Because believe me there is not a day where I don't think to myself "eh that's enough for today, maybe I'll quit early. Just today. Then this quote pops into my head:
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?”
So I push on. I push past the pain. First I ache, then I sweat, then comes the pain. Once you've pushed past the pain then the numbness sets in and you can ride the numbness till you've reached your goal for the day. When it's all done the sweet euphoria of having pushed yourself past pain into numbness is the best feeling in the world and I chase that everyday I'm at the gym.
Okay just wanted to share that with you guys. Oh here check this out!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Training For San Diego
So some of you may know already but for those who do not. I have registered myself to participate in the San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon being held on June 3, 2012. Yes a half marathon is 13 miles. Well it might be 13. something but I'm focusing on just finishing.
Up to this point the most I have walked/jogged is about 6.2 miles and this took me about 2 and 1/2 hours to accomplish. This marathon has a time limit of 4 hours. So right away the numbers are not in my favor. But that's cool because I dig a challenge! But I really think 13 miles may realistically be out of my reach. So I was curious 'what would happen if I could not complete the course in the required time?' I went to their website and found this:
If a participant’s pace falls below the course time limit, they have a few options:
- Increase their pace to stay within the event minimum pace
- Board a “sag wagon” shuttle to move forward on the course, where they may continue to participate in the event, maintaining the minimum pace required
- If the participant cannot continue, they may board a sag wagon to be dropped off at the next shuttle location, at a nearby medical station. The participant will be seen by a Medical Team captain to be cleared for the medical shuttle to transport the participant to the finish line.
Well here is my promise to all of you right now: I will finish this race. I might not do the full 13 miles. Matter of fact I've set my training goal at finishing 10 miles. I think this is a respectable number and I will be very very happy when I cross the finish line in 4 hours having completed 10 miles of the 13 mile course.
This means in training for this course I'm really looking to step up my bodies endurance over a long period of time versus training to set any kind of speed record. I know where I am at in challenging my body and I'm sure there will come a day when I will be finishing within the course time limit but not this first one. This first one I just want to finish. So my training is going to be all about pushing my endurance.
I started January being able to last 30 minutes on the elliptical at the gym with a goal of 60 minutes 6000 strides by the end of the month. I hit this goal today! My next step will be to hit the bluffs sometime this weekend and walk for 2 hours without stopping. I should be able to do just under 5 miles.
At the end of February I will step up the walking to 3 hours then 4 hours by the end of March. Not exactly sure what my distance walked will be in those time frames but I just need to be able to move for 4 hours without stopping because this is what I will have to do in San Diego.
With the ability to walk for 4 miles under my belt hopefully by the end of March I will then spend April and May maintaining this endurance of 4 hours and just keep trying to increase the distance. Now, don't get me wrong. If in March I realize that 13 miles is doable in 4 hours then I'm stepping my game up and going for it. Always be ready to adapt!
At the gym I'm doing cardio 4-5 times a week and weights 3-4 times a week. Using the weights to strengthen my arms and back while the cardio on the elliptical should be toning my legs. I'm drinking a lot of water and eating tons of chicken from Fresh & Easy and Freds Bar B Q (on Rosedale) and plenty of 1/2 Cobb Salads from Sequoia (Downtown).
Cardio, weights, protein, carbs and the support of my amazing family and wonderful friends. This is how I'm training for San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon. If anyone has suggestions or wants to join me one of these days on the Bluffs HMU!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
How Social Media Is Changing The Way We Mourn
Social Media has come a long way in a very short period of time and has changed the way we live our lives in many ways. It's changed the way we look for love, the way we look for jobs, the way we inner act with past friends. It's even changing the way we deal with the loss of a loved one. Some may disagree with me but I think social media helps us with the healing process by giving us a constant outlet to our loved ones during times of grief and sadness. Through social media we are always somehow connected, we are never completely alone. Here's my story........
.........My Uncle Phil recently passed away. I received the news of his passing on the morning of July 5th, 2011. As I numbly drove to work that morning I did not want to believe the news I had been given only minutes before. Then as my car rested at a red light I took out my phone to glance at my Facebook page. There along with the hectic ramblings of a post holiday morning the news of Uncle Phil's passing was all too real. Just like the words from that song by the Beatles.."...I read the news today.....". From the palm of my hand I read over and over again from family members as far away as Boston and Philadelphia. My Uncle Phil was gone.
My cousins, my brothers, my sisters, my nieces my nephews, my aunts and my uncles were all just as shocked as I was. The posts read like a timeline of unanswered cell phones calls that must had gone on the night before while we slept. It had all started around midnight. Family member after family member not knowing who to call or what to think had taken to the one constant in so many of our lives: Facebook and had posted their sadness and disbelief. Their posts of "rest in peace Uncle Phil" that had been left in those waining hours were filled with comments by their friends, coworkers other parts of their families I was not related to were offering their condolences and paying their respect to my Uncle. Sometime the night before the death of my Uncle Phil had gone viral and my head was now spinning in the aftermath.
Over the next few days leading up to my Uncles rosary service and funeral. Time after time I would find myself alone in a car or at work. Feelings of grief, sorry and anger overwhelmed me. I wanted to cry or just scream out loud in frustration. Not knowing who to turn to I would just look to Facebook and find a family member who was somewhere feeling the exact same way. I would see a post or a comment they had left minutes or hours before. Grieving, lonely, sad, frustrated just like me. It would take me out of my current state of confusion and put back where I found myself needing to be over and over again in those days. Not a saddened nephew but an elder cousin who needed to help his family through this hard time. And like I've stated I wasn't alone. In the moments where I found I didn't have the words the wisdom the patience or the understating someone else would. There would be another cousin or family member or friend ready to console whomever was feeling lost at any given moment.
Mourning can be such a lonely time and we often don't have the words to express to one another the pain the sorrow, misery, regret a recent loss has left us with. In modern times when we don't know who to turn to we scream into cyberspace. We whisper into the Internet and in those lonely seconds as the words are still echoing off the ceilings of our bedrooms the walls of our cubicle the interior of our car someone answers. A friend a cousin a coworker knows exactly how we're feeling at that moment and just when you thought you were so alone someone will answer back "it's okay, I'm here for you"
In the days following my Uncle's passing a tribute page was set up for him on Facebook. Not long after we had gathered in a church for him we started gathering on a Facebook page for him. Only this time there was not start time no end time. No pall bearers no flowers. Just memories old memories new memories. We didn't even have to worry if we didn't have anything to say or share. Matter of fact, we can visit and no one even knows where there. It's not a church its not a cemetery. It's just a constant flowing river of the life and times of Phil Vargas. And the love flowed. Suddenly a man I had loved and admired so much as a youth became a superhero a legend. Over and over people who's lives he had touched came one by one to share their stories. To chanel their sorrow on a wall that would stay forever in cyberspace just as those memories would stay forever in their hearts. They didn't have to tell the stories over and over. Once is enough in the cyber world. One story, one post, one click and it's there for eternity.
It doesn't take a tribute page to keep them alive. I will often see friends wishing Happy Birthday to lost loved ones on their special day or remembering them on on the anniversary of their passing. Today I noticed a sister paying tribute to a brother lost years ago by putting a picture of him as her profile picture. Like I said our individuality shows in how we mourn but the norm now is so social we are changing how we express our lose and in return it helps the healing process. Well at least for me it has for others it may just be a painful way of dragging it out.
The other day I was sitting at my desk and a song came over my speakers. The song was Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. A song I've heard hundreds of times over the years and had always been bitter sweet as I know from stories I've heard the singer is paying homage to an old friend he wishes was still with them. Although I knew the song wasn't written for my Uncle Phil it immediately made me think of him and how I wished he was still here with us. I went to his Facebook tribute page and while the song was still playing I scrolled through messages reading the "I love you" "we miss" "thank you". I smiled and numbly left my own scribble on his wall...."wish you were here". Almost instantly a notification came to me "Phillip Vargas Likes Your Post". His son my cousin who was somewhere in another city probably working with his father on his mind also had seen my post and liked it. It may sound overly romantic but I believe that in that moment we virtually put an arm around one another and promised each other 'your not alone I miss him too we'll get through this together'.
As we are all individuals we all pay tribute in different ways. Some post pictures some post memories some post videos. Friends and loved ones pay tribute by changing their profile picture to that of a loved one during their time of mourning or to remember a lost brother on their birthday or anniversary of their lose. We never really have to say goodbye anymore we just remind one another of how much we miss their presence. We pay tribute we post pictures we post songs we talk about the good times. Our friends and family are able to see these thoughts as they run through our minds almost instantly.
Our Facebook and Twitter pages will outlive us all. In the days and even years after our passing loved ones will continue to scroll our walls, read our thoughts laugh at our pictures and in some cases even leave us a message. They will console one another "like" and "comment" random tidbits and stories left by other friends some by people they don't even know just an acquaintance who shared a friend.
Heal together. Social media can help I know it can. Post it, blog it, tweet it.....we miss you uncle Phil....wish you were here....
.........My Uncle Phil recently passed away. I received the news of his passing on the morning of July 5th, 2011. As I numbly drove to work that morning I did not want to believe the news I had been given only minutes before. Then as my car rested at a red light I took out my phone to glance at my Facebook page. There along with the hectic ramblings of a post holiday morning the news of Uncle Phil's passing was all too real. Just like the words from that song by the Beatles.."...I read the news today.....". From the palm of my hand I read over and over again from family members as far away as Boston and Philadelphia. My Uncle Phil was gone.
My cousins, my brothers, my sisters, my nieces my nephews, my aunts and my uncles were all just as shocked as I was. The posts read like a timeline of unanswered cell phones calls that must had gone on the night before while we slept. It had all started around midnight. Family member after family member not knowing who to call or what to think had taken to the one constant in so many of our lives: Facebook and had posted their sadness and disbelief. Their posts of "rest in peace Uncle Phil" that had been left in those waining hours were filled with comments by their friends, coworkers other parts of their families I was not related to were offering their condolences and paying their respect to my Uncle. Sometime the night before the death of my Uncle Phil had gone viral and my head was now spinning in the aftermath.
Over the next few days leading up to my Uncles rosary service and funeral. Time after time I would find myself alone in a car or at work. Feelings of grief, sorry and anger overwhelmed me. I wanted to cry or just scream out loud in frustration. Not knowing who to turn to I would just look to Facebook and find a family member who was somewhere feeling the exact same way. I would see a post or a comment they had left minutes or hours before. Grieving, lonely, sad, frustrated just like me. It would take me out of my current state of confusion and put back where I found myself needing to be over and over again in those days. Not a saddened nephew but an elder cousin who needed to help his family through this hard time. And like I've stated I wasn't alone. In the moments where I found I didn't have the words the wisdom the patience or the understating someone else would. There would be another cousin or family member or friend ready to console whomever was feeling lost at any given moment.
Mourning can be such a lonely time and we often don't have the words to express to one another the pain the sorrow, misery, regret a recent loss has left us with. In modern times when we don't know who to turn to we scream into cyberspace. We whisper into the Internet and in those lonely seconds as the words are still echoing off the ceilings of our bedrooms the walls of our cubicle the interior of our car someone answers. A friend a cousin a coworker knows exactly how we're feeling at that moment and just when you thought you were so alone someone will answer back "it's okay, I'm here for you"
In the days following my Uncle's passing a tribute page was set up for him on Facebook. Not long after we had gathered in a church for him we started gathering on a Facebook page for him. Only this time there was not start time no end time. No pall bearers no flowers. Just memories old memories new memories. We didn't even have to worry if we didn't have anything to say or share. Matter of fact, we can visit and no one even knows where there. It's not a church its not a cemetery. It's just a constant flowing river of the life and times of Phil Vargas. And the love flowed. Suddenly a man I had loved and admired so much as a youth became a superhero a legend. Over and over people who's lives he had touched came one by one to share their stories. To chanel their sorrow on a wall that would stay forever in cyberspace just as those memories would stay forever in their hearts. They didn't have to tell the stories over and over. Once is enough in the cyber world. One story, one post, one click and it's there for eternity.
It doesn't take a tribute page to keep them alive. I will often see friends wishing Happy Birthday to lost loved ones on their special day or remembering them on on the anniversary of their passing. Today I noticed a sister paying tribute to a brother lost years ago by putting a picture of him as her profile picture. Like I said our individuality shows in how we mourn but the norm now is so social we are changing how we express our lose and in return it helps the healing process. Well at least for me it has for others it may just be a painful way of dragging it out.
The other day I was sitting at my desk and a song came over my speakers. The song was Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. A song I've heard hundreds of times over the years and had always been bitter sweet as I know from stories I've heard the singer is paying homage to an old friend he wishes was still with them. Although I knew the song wasn't written for my Uncle Phil it immediately made me think of him and how I wished he was still here with us. I went to his Facebook tribute page and while the song was still playing I scrolled through messages reading the "I love you" "we miss" "thank you". I smiled and numbly left my own scribble on his wall...."wish you were here". Almost instantly a notification came to me "Phillip Vargas Likes Your Post". His son my cousin who was somewhere in another city probably working with his father on his mind also had seen my post and liked it. It may sound overly romantic but I believe that in that moment we virtually put an arm around one another and promised each other 'your not alone I miss him too we'll get through this together'.
As we are all individuals we all pay tribute in different ways. Some post pictures some post memories some post videos. Friends and loved ones pay tribute by changing their profile picture to that of a loved one during their time of mourning or to remember a lost brother on their birthday or anniversary of their lose. We never really have to say goodbye anymore we just remind one another of how much we miss their presence. We pay tribute we post pictures we post songs we talk about the good times. Our friends and family are able to see these thoughts as they run through our minds almost instantly.
Our Facebook and Twitter pages will outlive us all. In the days and even years after our passing loved ones will continue to scroll our walls, read our thoughts laugh at our pictures and in some cases even leave us a message. They will console one another "like" and "comment" random tidbits and stories left by other friends some by people they don't even know just an acquaintance who shared a friend.
Heal together. Social media can help I know it can. Post it, blog it, tweet it.....we miss you uncle Phil....wish you were here....
Monday, August 29, 2011
CD Review-Red Hot Chili Pepper's: I'm With You
From Fuzz to Funk. The Red Hot Chili Pepper's still make me want to dance naked!
The opening chords of Monarchy of Roses the opening track off the Red Hot Chili Pepper's 10th studio album I'm With You sound like they are being broadcast through an old beat up transistor radio until it jumps into a funky dance groove reminiscent of One Hot Minute.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers then spend the next 59 minutes going back and fourth from Fuzz to Funk to just plain silliness. Would you want your Red Hot's delivered any other way?
Rick Rubin is back producing his 6th Red Hot's album. And of course we are all waiting to see if new comer Josh Klinghoffer can come anywhere close to filling John Frusciante's shoe's. But come on let's be realistic. No one will ever take the place of Frusciante. Die hard Red Hot fans should know and accept this undeniable fact. The best we can hope for is that Klinghoffer does not come along and try and be Frusciante and that he brings his own element to a sound that is already very well developed.
By the time we reach the half way point of Did I Let You Know complete with trumpet solo and wavy guitar solo your so lost in the Red Hot's rhythm section of Flea and Chad Smith you forget all about the razor's edge guitar solo's that once cut through the Red Hot's songs on previous albums. Like a boxer Klinghoffer waits until Goodbye Hooray to show he can unleash his fury and go toe to toe cutting and shredding on par with the legend of Frusciante.
Is it Californication? No. Is it Blood Sugar Sex Magik? Hell no. Is it the next logical step in the long and winding road that is The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Yes! Will they go on tour and shred these songs and many more? Of course, they've been doing this since 1984.
Track Listing for I'm With You:
1. "Monarchy of Roses" 4:11
2. "Factory of Faith" 4:20
3. "Brendan's Death Song" 5:38
4. "Ethiopia" 3:50
5. "Annie Wants a Baby" 3:40
6. "Look Around" 3:28
7. "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" 4:42
8. "Did I Let You Know" 4:21
9. "Goodbye Hooray" 3:52
10. "Happiness Loves Company" 3:33
11. "Police Station" 5:35
12. "Even You Brutus?" 4:01
13. "Meet Me at the Corner" 4:21
14. "Dance, Dance, Dance" 3:45
The opening chords of Monarchy of Roses the opening track off the Red Hot Chili Pepper's 10th studio album I'm With You sound like they are being broadcast through an old beat up transistor radio until it jumps into a funky dance groove reminiscent of One Hot Minute.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers then spend the next 59 minutes going back and fourth from Fuzz to Funk to just plain silliness. Would you want your Red Hot's delivered any other way?
Rick Rubin is back producing his 6th Red Hot's album. And of course we are all waiting to see if new comer Josh Klinghoffer can come anywhere close to filling John Frusciante's shoe's. But come on let's be realistic. No one will ever take the place of Frusciante. Die hard Red Hot fans should know and accept this undeniable fact. The best we can hope for is that Klinghoffer does not come along and try and be Frusciante and that he brings his own element to a sound that is already very well developed.
By the time we reach the half way point of Did I Let You Know complete with trumpet solo and wavy guitar solo your so lost in the Red Hot's rhythm section of Flea and Chad Smith you forget all about the razor's edge guitar solo's that once cut through the Red Hot's songs on previous albums. Like a boxer Klinghoffer waits until Goodbye Hooray to show he can unleash his fury and go toe to toe cutting and shredding on par with the legend of Frusciante.
Is it Californication? No. Is it Blood Sugar Sex Magik? Hell no. Is it the next logical step in the long and winding road that is The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Yes! Will they go on tour and shred these songs and many more? Of course, they've been doing this since 1984.
Track Listing for I'm With You:
1. "Monarchy of Roses" 4:11
2. "Factory of Faith" 4:20
3. "Brendan's Death Song" 5:38
4. "Ethiopia" 3:50
5. "Annie Wants a Baby" 3:40
6. "Look Around" 3:28
7. "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" 4:42
8. "Did I Let You Know" 4:21
9. "Goodbye Hooray" 3:52
10. "Happiness Loves Company" 3:33
11. "Police Station" 5:35
12. "Even You Brutus?" 4:01
13. "Meet Me at the Corner" 4:21
14. "Dance, Dance, Dance" 3:45
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Abby Roadies, Live at Fishlips Bar
When I was in young I used to get home from school everyday at about 2:30 in the afternoon. My brother would get home from High School at about 3:30. So this meant after I put away my stuff and got settled I had about 45 to 30 minutes alone with his stereo and his record collection.
There was some Santana, Moonflower was my favorite. War-The World Is A Ghetto. Then there was The Beatles and my favorite Beatles record was Abby Road, my favorite song Maxwell's Silver Hammer. Over the years every song on this record would take it's turn as being my favorite song of the album or the moment and The Beatles of course as with every other red blooded American would over the years accompany me as I grew up and tested the boundaries of life and reality.
So you can only imagine my excitement about a month ago when I saw a flyer on the Fishlips bathroom wall for The Abby Roadies Beatles Tribute Band: Performing Abby Road in it's entirety and other Beatles selections. I did all I could to get to Fishlips on time last night but as luck would have it. I missed the first two songs and showed up just as Maxwell's Silver Hammer was serenading the Bakersfield night air.
The Abby Roadies pretty much being a Bakersfield All Star band tore through the rest of Abby Road and worked the crowd into a sweaty dancing frenzy by the end of the night. The Abby Road stuff was received in awe as most of the bars patrons sat at their tables with band friends and random shiny happy people milling about the front of the stage swaying to and fro singing along.
The party really started when Abby Road was done and the band returned from their break and sprent the rest of the night ripping through everyone's favorite Beatles tunes: Paperback Writer, Help, Sargent Pepper, Twist and Shout just to name a few. I was in Beatles heaven for about 45 minutes last night as time stood still and I along with a bar full of Bakotopians sang and danced our asses off! It was great to relive those childhood memories of first falling in love with the Beatles it was good to be out and having a good time.
When live music is done right it makes time stand still and you forget all about the world outside. You forget all about your bills, your job, your struggles and all the other ruckus of the daily grind and you just get lost. I want to thank the Abby Roadies for helping us all get a little lost last night. Hope you guys find your way back to a bar soon because I can't wait to do it again.
The Abby Roadies are:
Chris Carton
Joey Romley
Tyler Evans
Therese Muller
Nick Romero
Paul Jacob Cartwright
Rob Ruiz
Here is the incredible setlist:
First Set
Abby Road-
Side 1
Come Together
Something
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Oh Darling
Octopus's Garden
I Want You
Side 2 (they even took a little pause here to recreate having to get up and turn the album over)
Here Comes The Sun
Because
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr Mustard
Polythene Pam
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
Her Majesty
Second Set
I Should Have Known Better
Wait
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Lady Madonna
She Said She Said
Please Please Me
Fool on the Hill
Abbey Road (17 songs)
Dear Prudence
Paperback Writer
Drive My Car
This Boy
Help!
A Hard Day’s Night
If I Fell
Can’t Buy Me Love
And I Love Her
Sgt. Pepper
With a Little Help From My Friends
Lucy
Getting Better
Don’t Let Me Down
Michelle
We Can Work it Out
Eleanor Rigby
Tomorrow Never Knows
Twist and Shout
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yesterday
All My Loving
Rocky Raccoon
Birthday (Thank you Amy!)
Ticket to Ride
Taxman
Strawberry Fields Forever
Penny Lane
A Day in the Life
Revolution
Helter Skelter
All You Need is Love
Got to Get You Into My Life
I Am the Walrus
Hello Goodbye
Day Tripper
Eight Days a Week
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Hey Jude
Thursday, August 18, 2011
So, it's been about a year...
....and what have I learned since that day I fell and could not get up?
I've learned there is a lot wonderful people in my life who love me and will give me all the support I need to succeed. I've learned the only thing holding me back from accomplishing what I have yet to accomplish is my own mind. I've learned my heart is strong though it was once very week. I've learned I can walk a mile sometimes two or three. I can workout and push my limits past what I once thought possible. I've learned I can eat healthy food and still enjoy it. I've learned to love myself and try to change the things about me I haven't liked in the past.
Am I done learning? Never! The day we stop learning is the day we die. I know I still don't have all the answers yet, but at least I've started asking questions and the only place I'm looking for answers is within myself
I've come a long way in a year and I can't wait to see where this determination will take me in another years time. I hope everyone who's on board sticks around to see where we are a year from now because we all know where I was a year ago.
So, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and see where this roller coaster ride called life takes me. Don't worry, you know wherever I go. If I don't blog it, I'll Instgram it and if I don't Facebook it you sure as hell know I'ma Tweet that shit!!!
Thanks everyone, I love you all!!!
Desparation
Dislocation
Separation
Condemnation
Revelation
In temptation
Isolation
Desolation
Let it go!!!!!! I'm wide awake....I'm not sleeping....oh no....
I've learned there is a lot wonderful people in my life who love me and will give me all the support I need to succeed. I've learned the only thing holding me back from accomplishing what I have yet to accomplish is my own mind. I've learned my heart is strong though it was once very week. I've learned I can walk a mile sometimes two or three. I can workout and push my limits past what I once thought possible. I've learned I can eat healthy food and still enjoy it. I've learned to love myself and try to change the things about me I haven't liked in the past.
Am I done learning? Never! The day we stop learning is the day we die. I know I still don't have all the answers yet, but at least I've started asking questions and the only place I'm looking for answers is within myself
I've come a long way in a year and I can't wait to see where this determination will take me in another years time. I hope everyone who's on board sticks around to see where we are a year from now because we all know where I was a year ago.
So, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and see where this roller coaster ride called life takes me. Don't worry, you know wherever I go. If I don't blog it, I'll Instgram it and if I don't Facebook it you sure as hell know I'ma Tweet that shit!!!
Thanks everyone, I love you all!!!
Desparation
Dislocation
Separation
Condemnation
Revelation
In temptation
Isolation
Desolation
Let it go!!!!!! I'm wide awake....I'm not sleeping....oh no....
Monday, May 30, 2011
Small Victories
Ever since I've starting my cardio routine I have been craving spicy Mexican Food like a pregnant chick. The spicier the better I'm talking runny nose by the time I'm done spicy. SPICY!!!
At around 8am today I was hit by one of these cravings......I wanted Menudo. Spicy Menudo with lots and lots of lemon. I had to have some. I wrapped up some work I had to do and headed to La Villa on Union for an early lunch.
Let me share something with you guys only my closest friends and family are kind of aware of. It's something you may not have to think about but it's a.......hmmmm I actually don't know what to call it. I'm just gonna call it a 'fear'. A fear I have or maybe I should call it a 'dread'? Well you can decide.
I dislike eating at a lot of places because I'm so big I do not fit in the normal size booths they have for their customers. So when I go to dinner with friends I have to discreetly let the waiter or waitress know that I'd prefer a table instead of a booth. It may not seem like much to a lot of you but trust me we all have our own social phobias we battle with and this has been a huge one for me over the years.
So there I am at La Villa and I had already ordered my Menudo to go. I stood quietly off in the corner as another dude ordered a torta and some tacos also to go. Not because he was too fat to fit in a booth but probably because he had other things to do. I looked at the booth then looked at my belly. I've lost some pounds I know this. Some inches from my chest, my shoulders, my legs, by back. But my waist refuses to budge. The kid who had ordered after me was locked into a video game oblivious to the fact there was a fat kid considering trying to over come one of the biggest fears of his life from over the last ten years. The lady working the counter went into the back to work on our orders. It was just me and the oblivious video game kid.
Should I try? Will I fit? Will I get stuck? Will I break the booth? Will the kid see me try, fail then laugh at me? Fuck it, know one is looking let's give it a try. I walked over to the nearest booth put my hands on the table top and slid in. Wholly shit I thought to myself? I fit!!! I'm in the booth!! A boyish grin stretched across my face as I sat there speechless. It was still a tight fit, but I was in! I looked over at the kid to see if he was about to congratulate me but he was still to locked in on his game to know I had just taken another small victory in this war I fight daily to reclaim my life.
The chick from the counter returned from the back of the restaurant with my order. "Here's your Menudo to go" she said. I stood up from where I was sitting walked over grabbed my bag. I walked over to a booth by the exit with a nice view of the street slid in and sat down to enjoy my early lunch.
"I thought you wanted it to go?" asked the lady...."yeah, I changed my mind" I said as I dumped a bunch of chili and squeezed a bunch of lemon into the cup-o-menudo.
At around 8am today I was hit by one of these cravings......I wanted Menudo. Spicy Menudo with lots and lots of lemon. I had to have some. I wrapped up some work I had to do and headed to La Villa on Union for an early lunch.
Let me share something with you guys only my closest friends and family are kind of aware of. It's something you may not have to think about but it's a.......hmmmm I actually don't know what to call it. I'm just gonna call it a 'fear'. A fear I have or maybe I should call it a 'dread'? Well you can decide.
I dislike eating at a lot of places because I'm so big I do not fit in the normal size booths they have for their customers. So when I go to dinner with friends I have to discreetly let the waiter or waitress know that I'd prefer a table instead of a booth. It may not seem like much to a lot of you but trust me we all have our own social phobias we battle with and this has been a huge one for me over the years.
So there I am at La Villa and I had already ordered my Menudo to go. I stood quietly off in the corner as another dude ordered a torta and some tacos also to go. Not because he was too fat to fit in a booth but probably because he had other things to do. I looked at the booth then looked at my belly. I've lost some pounds I know this. Some inches from my chest, my shoulders, my legs, by back. But my waist refuses to budge. The kid who had ordered after me was locked into a video game oblivious to the fact there was a fat kid considering trying to over come one of the biggest fears of his life from over the last ten years. The lady working the counter went into the back to work on our orders. It was just me and the oblivious video game kid.
Should I try? Will I fit? Will I get stuck? Will I break the booth? Will the kid see me try, fail then laugh at me? Fuck it, know one is looking let's give it a try. I walked over to the nearest booth put my hands on the table top and slid in. Wholly shit I thought to myself? I fit!!! I'm in the booth!! A boyish grin stretched across my face as I sat there speechless. It was still a tight fit, but I was in! I looked over at the kid to see if he was about to congratulate me but he was still to locked in on his game to know I had just taken another small victory in this war I fight daily to reclaim my life.
The chick from the counter returned from the back of the restaurant with my order. "Here's your Menudo to go" she said. I stood up from where I was sitting walked over grabbed my bag. I walked over to a booth by the exit with a nice view of the street slid in and sat down to enjoy my early lunch.
"I thought you wanted it to go?" asked the lady...."yeah, I changed my mind" I said as I dumped a bunch of chili and squeezed a bunch of lemon into the cup-o-menudo.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
This is what The Bluffs look like
I was sitting around perfectly happy with my last post when I realized not everyone lives in Bakersfield and knows what the hell I'm talking about when I refer to The Bluffs. So for those who do not know here are some pictures I've taken while walking around The Bluffs enjoy the visual stimuli!
I know right?
Since The Bluffs are at the edge of town the sunsets there are amazing. And there are plenty of trees for shade.
These little dudes are everywhere and they will come right up to you for a piece of bread.
Flowers!!!
...and you just might see this guy. If you do see him give em some water or if your a pretty girl take him on a date!!!
I know right?
Since The Bluffs are at the edge of town the sunsets there are amazing. And there are plenty of trees for shade.
These little dudes are everywhere and they will come right up to you for a piece of bread.
Flowers!!!
...and you just might see this guy. If you do see him give em some water or if your a pretty girl take him on a date!!!
This is going to be so random.....
....so random because right I now I am just missing the therapy of putting my hands to the keyboard and letting the sound of the keystrokes be my musical therapy.
Writing has always been a form of therapy for me. It started in high school only back then I used to love the smell of the fresh ink on a piece of notebook paper. The way it smudged if you brushed against it too soon after you had just written something. But then notebooks gave way to Blue Books at BC and writing in Blue Books always seemed forced and I would always be so nervous about it because I knew I was going to be graded. But now notebooks and blue books have given way to key boards and pixels. I no longer write to be graded but still find solace in my scribe.
So much has been going on. So much so that I can't share it anymore with just a status update or a tweet. This will take more than 140 character's.
The eating habits. Are soooooooo much better today then those of years gone by. But most important it all seems to make better sense to me these days. I pay attention to everything about food these days and more important to how my body reacts to or better yet how I want it to respond to what I'm about to eat. I'm learning more and more about how food is just really supposed to be fuel for my body not a roller coaster ride for my senses of smell and taste. Just get it in my belly because I feel weak and need strength for the long day ahead. Refuel constantly because I'm always on the go. A lot of chicken, a lot of greens, a lot of water even had some lamb this week that was pretty good too.
The exercises. I remember the first session I had with a trainer...lol.. dude told me to 'get on the ground' I looked at him and said 'dude if I get down, I'm not gonna be able to get back up!' He shot me a look and said 'I'll help you back up, if it takes both of us' he said referring to the other trainer dude who was helping out. Ever since then I've had a sort of blind faith in my trainer. Believing they will not ask me to do something they didn't know I couldnt handle. I leave the thinking up to them and just do what they tell me. I even bought a bike a few months ago...but I've only ridden it a couple of times. What I have done is started walking.
The Bluffs. Have become a sanctuary to me, almost a home a away from home I've spent so much time up there the last few weeks. It started out very simple. Park my car and walk in a big circle but then curiosity got to this cat and I had to start getting techy about my walking. So I downloaded a couple of Aps for tracking my walks and it took off from there. 1 mile turned into 1.5 miles then 2 miles then 3 miles then I made a goal with myself that I would hit the 5 mile mark before the end of May....I hit 5.21 miles yesterday.
The Cardio. I started walking because I think the next big weight lose phase is going to require a lot a lot a lot of cardio and well cardio at the gym is pretty damn boring to me. Now, cardio in this beautiful state of California...not so boring. So I'm digging the walks and next week after my 5k I will buy a bike rack and start hitting the bike paths in June.
The Music. Right now I can't stop listening to the new Beastie Boys and the new She Wants Revenge. I can't remember the last time there were two amazing new records released in such a short time span!
There I talked about everything I wanted to talk about in a few short paragraphs and got a lot off my chest.
Writing has always been a form of therapy for me. It started in high school only back then I used to love the smell of the fresh ink on a piece of notebook paper. The way it smudged if you brushed against it too soon after you had just written something. But then notebooks gave way to Blue Books at BC and writing in Blue Books always seemed forced and I would always be so nervous about it because I knew I was going to be graded. But now notebooks and blue books have given way to key boards and pixels. I no longer write to be graded but still find solace in my scribe.
So much has been going on. So much so that I can't share it anymore with just a status update or a tweet. This will take more than 140 character's.
The eating habits. Are soooooooo much better today then those of years gone by. But most important it all seems to make better sense to me these days. I pay attention to everything about food these days and more important to how my body reacts to or better yet how I want it to respond to what I'm about to eat. I'm learning more and more about how food is just really supposed to be fuel for my body not a roller coaster ride for my senses of smell and taste. Just get it in my belly because I feel weak and need strength for the long day ahead. Refuel constantly because I'm always on the go. A lot of chicken, a lot of greens, a lot of water even had some lamb this week that was pretty good too.
The exercises. I remember the first session I had with a trainer...lol.. dude told me to 'get on the ground' I looked at him and said 'dude if I get down, I'm not gonna be able to get back up!' He shot me a look and said 'I'll help you back up, if it takes both of us' he said referring to the other trainer dude who was helping out. Ever since then I've had a sort of blind faith in my trainer. Believing they will not ask me to do something they didn't know I couldnt handle. I leave the thinking up to them and just do what they tell me. I even bought a bike a few months ago...but I've only ridden it a couple of times. What I have done is started walking.
The Bluffs. Have become a sanctuary to me, almost a home a away from home I've spent so much time up there the last few weeks. It started out very simple. Park my car and walk in a big circle but then curiosity got to this cat and I had to start getting techy about my walking. So I downloaded a couple of Aps for tracking my walks and it took off from there. 1 mile turned into 1.5 miles then 2 miles then 3 miles then I made a goal with myself that I would hit the 5 mile mark before the end of May....I hit 5.21 miles yesterday.
The Cardio. I started walking because I think the next big weight lose phase is going to require a lot a lot a lot of cardio and well cardio at the gym is pretty damn boring to me. Now, cardio in this beautiful state of California...not so boring. So I'm digging the walks and next week after my 5k I will buy a bike rack and start hitting the bike paths in June.
The Music. Right now I can't stop listening to the new Beastie Boys and the new She Wants Revenge. I can't remember the last time there were two amazing new records released in such a short time span!
There I talked about everything I wanted to talk about in a few short paragraphs and got a lot off my chest.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Power Station Vs Arcadia
So the other day on Facebook, I posted what I thought was a simple question asking some of my music-adoring friends whom they favored in Duran Duran side project bands. For those unfamiliar with the story ....... go read some other blog. This story needs no introduction.
I wanted to know which group, between Arcadia and The Power Station, did people favor? Basically, I was asking folks to turn their clocks back 25 years and recall which of the two was their personal favorite. Here are some of the responses I received:
“Power Station hands down. Tony Thompson on drums. TONY THOMPSON!!!”- Cesareo Garasa - Local Drummer (too many bands to list most recently however I saw him Retro Rock the Fishlips stage with Members Only)
“Power station! Loved Robert Palmers voice and Tony Thompson was awesome on drums!”-Stephanie Viray 80’s/90’s Music afficionado and all round cool chick.
…and @Chulaliz couldn’t make up her mind: “I am torn! I really liked Arcadia though...”
Another respected music historian in my book, Dela, was quick to give his opinion: “Power Station!”
Hmmmm...all valid and thought-out opinions - for the most part. But there was one person who had yet to weigh in. I was still dying to find out her opinion and when I did hear it, it pushed me in the direction I was already swaying:
@MrsJU said...“As a self-proclaimed Durannie & Authority on all things Duran, I sway Arcadia on this one. While the Taylors (& Palmer's voice like buttah) strayed more guitar-heavy, truer 2 the Duran sound was Arcadia. With the emphasis on the synth & melodies, I have 2 admit proudly that I actually own "So Red The Rose" on vinyl. And alas, there is no Power Station in my collection ---not that I can't appreciate the musicality of the venture. But in my opinion, Arcadia is the winner here, not just as a fan of LeBon & Rhodes...just listen 2 "The Flame"...it's pretty much the business...”
Okay let’s listen to The Flame…
Alright then. I see what’s she’s talking about and I’ve gotta agree with her!
With the line up of:
• Robert Palmer - Vocalist
• Andy Taylor - Guitarist
• John Taylor - Bassist
• Tony Thompson – Drummer
Not to mention production by Bernard Edwards. The Power Station is the safe and easy commercial bet. My money was even on them when I started this whole thing, I swear. But upon further research, I gotta say these credentials speak for themselves:
• Simon Le Bon: vocals
• Nick Rhodes: keyboards
• Roger Taylor: drums
And some added muscle:
• Additional vocals: Sting, Grace Jones
• Guitars: Carlos Alomar, David Gilmour
• Additional keyboards: Herbie Hancock
I'm not even gonna Straddle the Line in Discord and Rhyme on this one. Style, art, sound, and vision - the winner, hands down, hair up is Arcadia.
From the album cover to music videos, Arcadia defines 1984 far better than The Power Station could have ever hoped. Come to think of it, being the super group that they were in retrospect, The Power Station played it pretty damn safe. They just put the ingredients on the table and didn’t dare add anything to them or turn up the flame. A very polished production value only added to that feel.
And like @MrsJU states, Arcadia moved right along with the progression that Duran Duran had been daring enough to explore. You can hear inflections of Notorious and A View To A Kill peppered over the entire LP. A move like this may have killed their massive mainstream following, but by taking this hiatus and experimenting with Arcadia, musically they were able to see what worked, what fit and exorsize the demons that were holding them back - hence releasing Duran Duran from Boy Band status to Supergroup.
In short, Arcadia gambled; The Power Station merely rolled the dice.
Although both groups were short lived, what they gave musically will never die.
Want more? Peep the links below:
Arcadia So Red The Rose Fansite
The Power Station
****This Blog Post is a MrsJU/Illasever Creation****
I wanted to know which group, between Arcadia and The Power Station, did people favor? Basically, I was asking folks to turn their clocks back 25 years and recall which of the two was their personal favorite. Here are some of the responses I received:
“Power Station hands down. Tony Thompson on drums. TONY THOMPSON!!!”- Cesareo Garasa - Local Drummer (too many bands to list most recently however I saw him Retro Rock the Fishlips stage with Members Only)
“Power station! Loved Robert Palmers voice and Tony Thompson was awesome on drums!”-Stephanie Viray 80’s/90’s Music afficionado and all round cool chick.
…and @Chulaliz couldn’t make up her mind: “I am torn! I really liked Arcadia though...”
Another respected music historian in my book, Dela, was quick to give his opinion: “Power Station!”
Hmmmm...all valid and thought-out opinions - for the most part. But there was one person who had yet to weigh in. I was still dying to find out her opinion and when I did hear it, it pushed me in the direction I was already swaying:
@MrsJU said...“As a self-proclaimed Durannie & Authority on all things Duran, I sway Arcadia on this one. While the Taylors (& Palmer's voice like buttah) strayed more guitar-heavy, truer 2 the Duran sound was Arcadia. With the emphasis on the synth & melodies, I have 2 admit proudly that I actually own "So Red The Rose" on vinyl. And alas, there is no Power Station in my collection ---not that I can't appreciate the musicality of the venture. But in my opinion, Arcadia is the winner here, not just as a fan of LeBon & Rhodes...just listen 2 "The Flame"...it's pretty much the business...”
Okay let’s listen to The Flame…
Alright then. I see what’s she’s talking about and I’ve gotta agree with her!
With the line up of:
• Robert Palmer - Vocalist
• Andy Taylor - Guitarist
• John Taylor - Bassist
• Tony Thompson – Drummer
Not to mention production by Bernard Edwards. The Power Station is the safe and easy commercial bet. My money was even on them when I started this whole thing, I swear. But upon further research, I gotta say these credentials speak for themselves:
• Simon Le Bon: vocals
• Nick Rhodes: keyboards
• Roger Taylor: drums
And some added muscle:
• Additional vocals: Sting, Grace Jones
• Guitars: Carlos Alomar, David Gilmour
• Additional keyboards: Herbie Hancock
I'm not even gonna Straddle the Line in Discord and Rhyme on this one. Style, art, sound, and vision - the winner, hands down, hair up is Arcadia.
From the album cover to music videos, Arcadia defines 1984 far better than The Power Station could have ever hoped. Come to think of it, being the super group that they were in retrospect, The Power Station played it pretty damn safe. They just put the ingredients on the table and didn’t dare add anything to them or turn up the flame. A very polished production value only added to that feel.
And like @MrsJU states, Arcadia moved right along with the progression that Duran Duran had been daring enough to explore. You can hear inflections of Notorious and A View To A Kill peppered over the entire LP. A move like this may have killed their massive mainstream following, but by taking this hiatus and experimenting with Arcadia, musically they were able to see what worked, what fit and exorsize the demons that were holding them back - hence releasing Duran Duran from Boy Band status to Supergroup.
In short, Arcadia gambled; The Power Station merely rolled the dice.
Although both groups were short lived, what they gave musically will never die.
Want more? Peep the links below:
Arcadia So Red The Rose Fansite
The Power Station
****This Blog Post is a MrsJU/Illasever Creation****
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Derek Jeter
It's no big secret I'm no Yankee fan. But I am a baseball fan and I'll tell you this. If I have to witness Derek Jeter take the field in 2011 in any other uniform other then the one he's worn since 95 after being drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 92 amateur draft as the 6th pick overall. I am going to be one sad baseball fan.
He's been Mr Yankee since he first took the 6 spot on the Yankee Infield in 95. In 2001 we even crowned him Mr November after his historic game winning homer hit on November 1st just after midnight. I didn't even have to look that one up I just remember it because like the Yankees or night I know history when I see it.
But right now I don't see a legend I just see another greedy athlete going after more then they are currently worth. Over his career Jeter has earned over 200 million from baseball alone that's not counting endorsements.
He's had a career other players would die for. He's appeared in 147 post season games 7 World Series, 11 All Star Games. He's got 5 rings! He could retire right now and be guaranteed a spot in Cooperstown. Or he could take what the Yankees have offered and retire a few years from now still a Yankee still a legend and not another Brett Favre (sorry Megs I had to go there).
This is why I was sad when Cal Ripkin Jr retired. Not because I was an Oriole fan but because I knew we were seeing the last of a dying breed retire. The players who played their entire career with one team. Through thick and thin through good seasons and bad. Players who took what they were currently worth and didn't demand big dollars for what they had done on the past.
The sad part here is some little kid in the Bronx right now rocking his 35 dollar Yankee cap and his 150 dollar Jeter jersey is watching this whole thing play out and is learning. But what is he learning?
Ah man I swear I don't enjoy writing rants because I think they are lame but I just had to sound off on this topic because baseball is something I love and when I see wrong I have to say something or I am just as guilty for not trying to fix the ill as those for doing it by not trying to fix it. Word?
And I'm not alone on this one, Tweeps are sounding off on Twitter too:
ryanstrang: derek #jeter is out of his mind!
Michael_Redman: Does Jeter really think he is still worth $25 million a year? Is he kidding? #jeter #Yankees #whatajoke #areyoukiddingme #old
DKulich44: If #Jeter truly cared about winning, he'd stay in New York for peanuts. Don't get me wrong, deserves to be paid, but he's being outlandish.
islandrevis: We don't owe you nothing #jeter you need the #yankees - YANKEES don't need you
...and like I said:
illasever: Someone tell Jeter the Dodgers will give him 20 mil for 3 seasons but he's gotta play 3rd base.....final offer!!!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
CD Review-Landen Belardes: Listen
Recorded in living rooms, bedrooms, computer rooms and kitchens all over this beautiful town of Bakersfield young Landen Belardes continues to chisal away at a sound shared by this whole town. Be it while we drive the green streets of Oleander or the smog infested bluffs of the Eastside. Its a sound that's all ours, it's green, it's sticky, it's dirty. And in the case of young Belardes it still has pimples!!
At just 19 he's already entering the second phase of his musical maturation having already played, produced and recorded while still in high school with the now defunct Dirty Spanglish. On Listen Belerdes sounds like a dog who's just learned to bark, a lion who's just learned to roar and appears to be an eagle who is about ready to soar.
Seven self produced tracks take us on a journey of high school crushes, teenage angst and good ole American bliss. Man it's good to be alive and Landen reminds us of that over and over again.
Although the tunes can sound melancholy at times no doubt the message is positive and full of hope. Come on we spend most of our lives waiting for moments, instances, nano seconds of bliss and we take them when we can get them. The hours the minutes the stories the songs leading up to the bliss aren't always nice. But it's worth it and it needs to be shared. The stories need to be told the songs need to be sung. And that's what this young man does.
This CD is pulling my heart strings back and fourth making my head sway to and fro as I search for hidden messages in songs so simple they rhyme 'wanderin' with 'ponderin'.
The stand outs on the collection are the bookends I've Flown Back Home and Listening. The latter of which being a song that refuses to end on a CD that leaves you begging for more. And more we'll get. Word has it Belardes will be putting together a few CD Release shows in the near future. Why don't you go here: @landenbelardes or here Facebook/landenbelardes if your looking for an update. In the meantime check this out:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
What's Going On?
“What’s going on?” I asked but no one seemed to have heard me. I asked again only a little bit louder this time, “what’s going on?” It felt like I was trying to wake up from a bad dream and no one was listening or seemed to care.
I had taken a fall earlier in the day (was it still the same day) and was advised by the paramedics to go to the hospital just to be safe. The ambulance had brought me to San Joaquin Community Hospital and that was pretty much all I knew for sure. The rest was one big question mark forming in my brain like a big hurricane off the coast just dying to hit land.
I was alive. At least I thought I was. Maybe I’m dead I thought. Maybe that is why no one is answering me. They can’t hear me. I feel like Bruce Willis in that movie where the little kid sees dead people?
There were Doctors everywhere scrambling franticly, some standing around me taking notes looking at what I assumed were test results. They showed each other pages from their stacks of paper and nodded and confirmed unsaid results to one another. I must be alive, I thought. They wouldn’t be making this much fuss over a dead guy.
My eyes roamed the room like a detective looking for a clue. Mom! My mom and brother stood guard in the corner of the room talking to a doctor. They looked worried and upset. The doctor was explaining something to them in great detail. My brother listened intently, taking in what the doctor said with a series of nods and shrugs, at times running his fingers through his thin graying hair. Occasionally he would look over at my mom and place his hand on her forearm as if trying to console her.
I suddenly I realized no one could hear me because I had a mask covering my face blowing air into my mouth and nose. It was as loud as an air compressor. How had I not noticed this before? I pulled the mask off and asked out loud to whoever would listen, “what’s going on?” No one answered. “What’s going on?” I repeated. Again no answer. “WHAT’S GOING ON!?” I shouted getting everyone’s attention. A doctor looked at me and frowned then simply walked over and took the mask out of my hand and put it back over my face. “We need you to keep this on,” he said then walked off. I took the mask off again, “Can you tell me what’s going on?” Two Doctors walked over to me, one spoke and the other stood behind him like some mafia goon.
“You’re very sick, we need for you to keep this on,” he replied. The second doctor watched with his arms folded looking annoyed. They walked away. I pulled the mask off again. Three doctors walked over and motioned for two more to join them, they all converged around my bed. Oh no! I thought, just as two Doctors each grabbed one of my arms two more practically laid across my legs, the fifth doctor pulled out a syringe, pressed against my forearm and stuck me.
From this point on I was in a dream sequence. Like some kind of deleted scene from Drugstore Cowboys, I was out for the most part. I would awaken occasionally barely able to open my eyes. Most times I would just open my right eye and look up. A revolving door of family members came into my room, one sometimes two at a time, Uncle Daniel, Cousin Olivia, Aunt Mary, and Cousin Rob. All with long faces fighting back tears, concern strewn on their faces, their eyes puffy from driving all day, skin pale from not having eaten, faces red from drinking too much Pepsi.
To my left my mom sat vigilant in the back corner of the room. Family members consoled her. The look on her face I had only seen when dad and my sister Carmen died. When my visitors were done with me they would walk over to her and pay their respect as if they wouldn’t see me again. Every time I woke up I could hear her telling a different part of the same story, of how I had fallen on Friday morning and was told by the paramedics I should go to the hospital just to be safe. So this is safe, I thought to myself, this is safe? I passed out.
I woke up feeling like I’d been asleep for a week. It had actually been 3 days. I couldn’t move. There were IV stands all around my bed, tubes going into both arms, clear liquid seeping into my veins. Was it making me better, was it keeping me sedated, was it keeping me alive? I wondered. My mom, sister and two brothers looked at me silently from the back corner of the room where they sat. I tried to talk to them but realized there was a hose connected to a machine behind me with a coiled plastic tube snaked across my chest into my mouth and down into my throat. My mouth was tapped shut around it. Every time I tried to move the machine would go off with a series of bells and sirens sounding much like a European Police siren. I looked down and saw my body. I was intact for the most part and in a lot of pain.
My sister walked over fighting back tears, she handed me a piece of paper and a pen. I scribbled…”what happened?” and handed the piece of paper back to her. She explained how my lungs had stopped working early Saturday morning. They had been breaking down on me for the last several months’ maybe years. The tube was helping my lungs work. I was very critical but had made it through the worst part. I stuck out my hand and she gave me back the piece of paper. “The worst part?” I questioned. She read my scribble swallowed hard and spoke, “You almost didn’t make it Jess, they told us to prepare for the worst.”
I stayed in the hospital for two weeks, then a rehabilitation center for another two weeks before I was allowed to go home. My lungs are working fine now, functioning the way God intended but I still have a lot of work to do and a lot of weight to lose before I win this battle. The fight’s not over yet, it’s only the first round. Like Rocky Balboa, I’ve got a lot of fight left.
I had taken a fall earlier in the day (was it still the same day) and was advised by the paramedics to go to the hospital just to be safe. The ambulance had brought me to San Joaquin Community Hospital and that was pretty much all I knew for sure. The rest was one big question mark forming in my brain like a big hurricane off the coast just dying to hit land.
I was alive. At least I thought I was. Maybe I’m dead I thought. Maybe that is why no one is answering me. They can’t hear me. I feel like Bruce Willis in that movie where the little kid sees dead people?
There were Doctors everywhere scrambling franticly, some standing around me taking notes looking at what I assumed were test results. They showed each other pages from their stacks of paper and nodded and confirmed unsaid results to one another. I must be alive, I thought. They wouldn’t be making this much fuss over a dead guy.
My eyes roamed the room like a detective looking for a clue. Mom! My mom and brother stood guard in the corner of the room talking to a doctor. They looked worried and upset. The doctor was explaining something to them in great detail. My brother listened intently, taking in what the doctor said with a series of nods and shrugs, at times running his fingers through his thin graying hair. Occasionally he would look over at my mom and place his hand on her forearm as if trying to console her.
I suddenly I realized no one could hear me because I had a mask covering my face blowing air into my mouth and nose. It was as loud as an air compressor. How had I not noticed this before? I pulled the mask off and asked out loud to whoever would listen, “what’s going on?” No one answered. “What’s going on?” I repeated. Again no answer. “WHAT’S GOING ON!?” I shouted getting everyone’s attention. A doctor looked at me and frowned then simply walked over and took the mask out of my hand and put it back over my face. “We need you to keep this on,” he said then walked off. I took the mask off again, “Can you tell me what’s going on?” Two Doctors walked over to me, one spoke and the other stood behind him like some mafia goon.
“You’re very sick, we need for you to keep this on,” he replied. The second doctor watched with his arms folded looking annoyed. They walked away. I pulled the mask off again. Three doctors walked over and motioned for two more to join them, they all converged around my bed. Oh no! I thought, just as two Doctors each grabbed one of my arms two more practically laid across my legs, the fifth doctor pulled out a syringe, pressed against my forearm and stuck me.
From this point on I was in a dream sequence. Like some kind of deleted scene from Drugstore Cowboys, I was out for the most part. I would awaken occasionally barely able to open my eyes. Most times I would just open my right eye and look up. A revolving door of family members came into my room, one sometimes two at a time, Uncle Daniel, Cousin Olivia, Aunt Mary, and Cousin Rob. All with long faces fighting back tears, concern strewn on their faces, their eyes puffy from driving all day, skin pale from not having eaten, faces red from drinking too much Pepsi.
To my left my mom sat vigilant in the back corner of the room. Family members consoled her. The look on her face I had only seen when dad and my sister Carmen died. When my visitors were done with me they would walk over to her and pay their respect as if they wouldn’t see me again. Every time I woke up I could hear her telling a different part of the same story, of how I had fallen on Friday morning and was told by the paramedics I should go to the hospital just to be safe. So this is safe, I thought to myself, this is safe? I passed out.
I woke up feeling like I’d been asleep for a week. It had actually been 3 days. I couldn’t move. There were IV stands all around my bed, tubes going into both arms, clear liquid seeping into my veins. Was it making me better, was it keeping me sedated, was it keeping me alive? I wondered. My mom, sister and two brothers looked at me silently from the back corner of the room where they sat. I tried to talk to them but realized there was a hose connected to a machine behind me with a coiled plastic tube snaked across my chest into my mouth and down into my throat. My mouth was tapped shut around it. Every time I tried to move the machine would go off with a series of bells and sirens sounding much like a European Police siren. I looked down and saw my body. I was intact for the most part and in a lot of pain.
My sister walked over fighting back tears, she handed me a piece of paper and a pen. I scribbled…”what happened?” and handed the piece of paper back to her. She explained how my lungs had stopped working early Saturday morning. They had been breaking down on me for the last several months’ maybe years. The tube was helping my lungs work. I was very critical but had made it through the worst part. I stuck out my hand and she gave me back the piece of paper. “The worst part?” I questioned. She read my scribble swallowed hard and spoke, “You almost didn’t make it Jess, they told us to prepare for the worst.”
I stayed in the hospital for two weeks, then a rehabilitation center for another two weeks before I was allowed to go home. My lungs are working fine now, functioning the way God intended but I still have a lot of work to do and a lot of weight to lose before I win this battle. The fight’s not over yet, it’s only the first round. Like Rocky Balboa, I’ve got a lot of fight left.
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