1. Don’t walk too close, don’t breathe so soft–Jewel “Don’t”

2. Wanna’ wake up and know where I’m goin’–Tracy Chapman “I’m Ready”

3. I’m through with standin’ in line to clubs I’ll never get in–Nickelback “Rockstar”

e-beth got it

4. Oh, look at how she listens–Dave Matthews Band “Grey Street”

5. Straight in, suck up and go–Dave Matthews Band “Too Much” my favorite DMB song

6. Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom–Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”

sis got it

7. I’m puttin you, baby, I’m puttin you right out of my mind–John Mayer Trio “Out of My Mind”

8. A thousand times a prophet–Blues Traveler “NY Prophesie”

9. I’m just a boy working in a record store–Everclear “White Men in Black Suits”

10. Wild Thing, you make my heart sing (this one is easy, but can you guess my artist…)–Jimi Hendrix “Wild Thing” –sis got ‘em both

11. Nobody knows, Nobody knows but be that I sometimes cry–Pink “Nobody Knows”

12. I’m not surprised it’s come to this–Bare Naked Ladies “Upside Down”

13. Now I stared at you, from across the room–One Republic “Won’t Stop”

14. You don’t have to be old to be wise–Angelique Kidjo & Dave Matthews “Iwoya”

15. All I need, is right here on my sleeve–Live “All I Need”

16. You gotta pop that style, rock that watch dial–Jay-Z & Dr. Dre “Watch Me”

17.There must be some kind of way out of here (again, pretty easy, but what artist is my live version…)–DMB “All Along the Watchtower”–sis got ‘em both again!

18. Laughing in a crown of jewels–Indigo Girls “Center Stage”

19. Stoplight, lock the door–Evanescence “Snow White Queen”

20. If the fish swam out of the ocean–Sam Sparro “Black & Gold” great song that no one knows

21. There’s a red house over yonder (easy, again)–Jimi Hendrix “Red House”

22. People on the street now, faces long and grim–Ray LaMontagne “How Come”

23. Now deep in the heart of a lowly kid (probably the toughest one here…)–The Band “Stage Fright”

24. You’ve been so kind and generous (oh, come on….)–Natalie Merchant “Kind & Generous”–sis got that one too

25. Your shadow walks faster than you (probably my favorite one)–Jack Johnson “Hope”

Thanks for playing, and thanks for listening;)

This is the continuation of what I started so long ago…seems like a theme in my life…but, better to finish some time then to forget forever…

26. Listening to really loud and obnoxious rap music while driving in your car with a shirt and tie on.

27. Mulching, and teaching your daughter how to mulch.

28. Seeing your son win the race down the driveway, and then saying, “I’m the winner, I’m the fastest scooter driver in the world!”, even when he’s the only one there.

29. Watch an old couple look at each other and communicate about life without saying a word.

30. Help protect a perfect stranger.

31. Drive the green on a Par 4.

32. Eat candies, only two a day, and truly savor the deliciousness that is Russell Stover.

33. Watch the pink sky with your family.

34. Just shoot the breeze at work for an hour.

35. Realize how great being 75 is for your grandmother, and how great she is.

36. Throw your grandmother a 75^th Birthday party.

37. Make believe that you are a giant squid…just ask Clarice and Rudolph about this.

38. Write a poem about how you feel.

39. Show up to work whenever you want at least once a month.

40. Show up to work early every chance you get.

41. Talk to your friends whenever, and how ever you hear from them.

42. Make Chinese Food from scratch at home.

43. Close your eyes randomly for a moment.

44. Mock the guy who drives a white Porsche 928 with a license plate that says PERL 928.

45. Drive back home with your daughter to get her “regular clothes” even though you are already at school and dressed, so she’ll be happy, and maybe for a moment you’ll feel she’ll be cool.

46. Cheer every time your 3 year old goes potty.

47. Cheer even louder when your son says, “I wanna’ go like you.”, and he does it just like you.

48. Make a point to pat your wife on the bottom at least twice a day.

49. Realize that you have a great life, even when it doesn’t feel that way.

50. Blog.

I stole this from my sister’s blog, and she stole it from someone else, so I am guilty of receiving stolen goods, and now, so are you.

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Post the first line of each of the first 25 songs, no matter how embarrassing.
3. Strikethrough an entry once someone in the comments guesses both the artist and the song correctly.
4. For those who are guessing, googling or otherwise searching for the lyrics is CHEATING (we use the honor system around here).
5. If you like the game, feel free to post your own.

I’ve got some real fluff on my iPod currently, so I hope I don’t get wildly embarrassed doing this.  Let’s roll the dice, shall we?

1. Don’t walk too close, don’t breathe so soft

2. Wanna’ wake up and know where I’m goin’

3. I’m through with standin’ in line to clubs I’ll never get in

4. Oh, look at how she listens

5. Straight in, suck up and go

6. Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom

7. I’m puttin you, baby, I’m puttin you right out of my mind

8. A thousand times a prophet

9. I’m just a boy working in a record store

10. Wild Thing, you make my heart sing (this one is easy, but can you guess my artist…)

11. Nobody knows, Nobody knows but be that I sometimes cry

12. I’m not surprised it’s come to this

13. Now I stared at you, from across the room

14. You don’t have to be old to be wise

15. All I need, is right here on my sleeve

16. You gotta pop that style, rock that watch dial

17.There must be some kind of way out of here (again, pretty easy, but what artist is my live version…)

18. Laughing in a crown of jewels

19. Stoplight, lock the door

20. If the fish swam out of the ocean

21. There’s a red house over yonder (easy, again)

22. People on the street now, faces long and grim

23. Now deep in the heart of a lowly kid (probably the toughest one here…)

24. You’ve been so kind and generous (oh, come on….)

25. Your shadow walks faster than you (probably my favorite one)

Good Luck!

Thanks for listening;)

These last couple of months have been wild.

Most of my blogging has consisted of politics over on D&B Politics.

I am overjoyed at the nation’s decisions in their elected leaders.

My job has been crazy, but great at the same time.

The kids are growing and loving life.

My sister has a boyfriend, and loving life.

I am undefeated in my $$ Fantasy Football league.

And I am finding my inner peace through writing again.

I haven’t written in a long time.  Mostly poetry, but some tirades and soliloquies mixed in, it’s good.

I hope to be more consistent in my blogging, but as with most other times here I fail to produce, so, don’t hold your breath.

Tomorrow and Friday I will wind up my most productive week at work, and will be staying over night in western VA to make it happen.  My brother and sister-in-laws will be putting me up for the night, so that will be a good thing too.

Homecoming was a couple of weeks ago and I had a blast.  thanks to my sister filling in, in loco parentis!  I got to catch up with so many friend and brothers.  It was the 25th anniversary of my fraternity’s chapter founding, even though we lost our charter a couple of years ago, s there were plenty of alumni about.  I spent Friday night and all day Saturday reliving those times, and seeing how all of these crazy drunkards became moms and dads, and upstanding citizens in our society.

My grandmother came up this weekend and finally met my sister’s boyfriend.  We hung out as a family for dinner on Saturday night and had a great time.

Any time I get together with my grandmother I am always greeted with love and an inquisition, but not in the Spanish way.  We talked for two hours over dinner together Friday night and after dinner Saturday.  I could talk to her for hours, and obviously I did.  I always find out new things about my family and my life when I was younger.  She was always there for us, and I wouldn’t trade the time with her for anything in the world.  She is 74, and would kill me for saying that, but she is still the same as I remember her when I was five, that was twenty-eight years ago.  She has hardly aged, and is still going to school and teaching at a daycare.  I didn’t want to go to school when I was 18, I can’t imagine wanting to go at her age.  She is truly amazing.  We talked about family, politics, and the economy.  We transistioned seamlessly from one topic to the next, and for two very opinionated people we do it in such a way that no one even bats an eye at some of the more shocking topics.  If I can be as vibrant as she is when I am 54, I’ll be happy.

My sister is incredibly happy.  I do approve of her choice in boyfriends.  I have only met one of her past boyfriends, and I definitly like this one the best.  He’s witty, yet awkward, and can hold a conversation about anything.  (Oh yeah, and sis, I do think that his spreadsheet is genius even though I glazed over it.)  Mel is another truly amazing person in my life. 

I count my blessings for the family and friends that I have in  my life, and am learning more and more each day to appreciate their presence.

Thanks for listening;)

Hey, sorry for the tirade of posts today.

I have moved them to www.dandbpolitics.wordpress.com my new politically based blog.

Please enjoy them as often as you like.

Thanks for listening;)

Keep in mind this is a blog link,  but written by an Alaskan who seems to be pretty balanced.

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

Thanks for listening;)

While this site can be a little of kilter from time to time, this issue is just too important to pass up.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/6/161324/6723/561/589293

Thanks for listening;)

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184114

…we’d all be crying.

Thanks for listening;)

This is just so amazing to hear, and see.  I saw the original airing, and busted out in cynical laughter.

I believe that intelligent people can change their minds on issues, but let’s be fair, these folks are just short sighted, and one sided.

Thanks Jon, for keeping it real.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM6AapgG_D0

Thanks for listening;)

I have been contemplating the next 50, but needed to talk about something very near and dear to me, Music.

Music has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. When I lived with my grandmother she was always singing. Her boyfriend, for a lack of better terms, lived with us and he was always playing the small organ they had in their apartment. I can remember going to preschool with her, even though I was too young to be there, and hearing her play the piano and singing with all of the kids. I loved it. As I grew up and went back to live with my dad I can still see him laying on the couch in whatever house we were in at the time, just chilling and listening to LP’s. In looking back I now know that is where he found his peace, and still does, just more digitally. He is living his lifelong dream and is in a real rock band, yep Papa’s on bass. When we would spend some summers up near Buffalo, NY with my grandparents, my grandma would sing all kinds of songs on the way to the golf course in the morning. She always had a song in her head, and in her heart.

When we lived in Philadelphia I started playing the trombone, only because they didn’t want me to play upright bass or tuba for some reason. I liked it, but never really was very good at it. When we moved to Ashland I took up the tuba. I loved it, and I was pretty good, which always makes it a little more fun for me. I played through high school, and did well, but that is where it ended.

I was always so proud, and a little jealous of my sister’s vocal ability. She was great, and sang with a wonderful a cappella group in college, and I remember closing my eyes every time she sang, and trying not to cry, like I am now as I think about it. She also played clarinet and trumpet throughout middle school, and took piano lessons too.

Growing up in a musically inclined family was great. There was always music for special dinners, and just in general. I remember my little cassette deck that I wore out way too many tapes, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and the first one I bought with my own money, LL Cool J’s Bigger and Deffer. I made so many mix tapes that I had it down to the second of what could fit on one side.

The first CD I bought was Enya, and I bought it in Barcelona, why I don’t know, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Then came The Dave Matthews Band. Sophomore year in college was a great time for me and music. I joined BMG and Columbia House, and racked up some serious debt amassing my music collection. It was so worth it. I still have all of them, except on Fighting Gravity CD (No Stopping, No Standing), and one Pearl Jam CD (Yield).

I bring this up because of a recent phenomenon in my life. We were driving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for vacation about a month ago, listing to Sirius Satellite Radio, and we hit a bump, then crack, then the distinct smell of melting plastic, the no sound! We stopped for a potty break and checked everything I could. The radio, CD player, and DVD player were still working, just no sound. Silence for two more hours, then three more on the way home was taxing. When we got back I checked some things on line then checked them in the car, to no avail.

So, here I sit with no sound in my car as I travel from appointment to appointment, about 400 miles a week with no music. It is driving me a little insane. The other day I had “Informer” by Snow stuck in my head for two hours. You tell me if I am going crazy.

So, I ask all of the music lovers for the donation of good karma, prayers, or thoughts as I try and diagnose and fix this problem for the lowest possible budget number.

Enjoy your music, and think of me for a moment as I try and remember the words to “Yellow Ledbetter”.

Thanks for listening;)