What’s Listening – Yo La Tengo

Time for something new. Every month I will be showcasing a different artist and album that I’m currently listening to. More than just browsing these artists, I’m going to be purchasing an album from each group in order to give them a fair representation and to increase their availability to others.

January’s profile is Yo La Tengo with their album “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.”

Every song on this CD feels completely different from the next in both performance and tone, all of which have a sort of 60s feel to them. It’s the only album I’ve encountered that actually fills up a CD, providing almost 80 minutes of music (twice as much as most artists give you). Top songs include “Beanbag Chair,” “Black Flowers,” and my new favorite song “Mr. Tough.”

Check out some free music to download from their website:
http://www.yolatengo.com/audio.html

Satisfy the Itch

Lately I’ve been inspired to watch movies after a noticeable drought of film watching last November and December. Maybe the reasoning behind it stems from the fact that life is slowing down since the hectic holiday season has passed. I remember trying to become inspired to watch movies in December, but I struggled to sit still long enough through just the first half-hour of one. I had an itch that couldn’t be satisfied by films.

Suddenly the itch has changed and now I can’t wait to see another movie. With award season in full-force, now becomes the perfect time to watch all those films that were once unavailable or inaccessible before. I have seen 3 good films in the theaters already (Dreamgirls, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Children of Men) and plan to see at least one more this weekend.

It’s amazing how quickly your mind and attitude may change and how at any given moment you are a different person than once before. I guess that’s what makes us human - we are all just trying to satisfy an itch.

Just How Cold Was It Last Week?

Vending My Frustration

I stepped up to the office vending machine and inserted my dollar. At first, it rejected my crisp single but I fed it in once more and the machine greedily accepted this time. I quickly scanned my options and saw a small bag of Cheez-its in the upper right-hand corner that looked good. I eagerly depressed the keystrokes and waited for my crackers tumble.

But the bag didn’t fall.

Somehow it got stuck up there. I looked around incredulously as I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. Anxiously, I tapped the glass in hopes that it would be inspired to release itself, but to no avail. I then tried to shake the machine, without making too much noise (since someone’s office is right around the corner) and still the crackers wouldn’t fall. The bag was visibly shrinking slowly to the earth, but it was caught on something and wouldn’t release.

I finally gave up on that bag and feeling frustrated with the whole thing, used my remaining 50 cents to buy a packet of Gardetto’s located on the very bottom row. They slipped out easily as if out to prove something. I grabbed my bag and gave the machine one last shake, but still with no luck.

Just as I started to turn I pondered why didn’t I just hit the same number and get 2 bags of crackers instead of just walking out with one. It looks like my stomach and frustration won out on me. I sighed and walked away. It was the first and last time I will ever use the office vending machine.

How Cold Weather Can Double Your Travel Time

So I wake up an hour late for work this morning, since my alarms didn't wake me up this morning. I plugged my phone into my charger last night and put in on my nightstand like I usually do. The problem is that the closest outlet is a ways away and my phone when attached to the charger has to sit near the edge of my nightstand making the cord itself rather taut. It has to be on the nightstand to wake me up because its vibration noise is what wakes me up in the mornings. This morning, when the alarm started to go off, it must have vibrated itself off my nightstand onto the floor before I woke up, rendering it ineffective. Thankfully my body woke me up at 6:20AM and I was very confused for a minute or two while looking at the clock deciphering what time it was.

Well, it's no big deal really, because I didn't have anything really early in the morning today and I could afford to get in around 7AM. I quickly got ready and left for work. It was another cold night last night and my car thermometer dipped to about 28 degrees during my drive. I was making good time for the first 15 minutes as there was no traffic in front of me. That is, until I crossed the highway overpass and descended into chaos. There was a huge line of cars ahead of me and all were stopped cold in their tracks. I had missed my traffic report up to that point and within 5 minutes I was humored by the fact that there were accidents on almost every major highway around, including the one I was on. Apparently there was some precipitation last night and combined with the freezing temperatures we've been having, the roads were very slick this morning. You could actually see snow in the foothills outside of Taft while driving. This made for some unsafe travel early on and led to, you guessed it - accidents.

I reassessed my options and realized that I had no other choice but to inch along in traffic. There were numerous blinking lights ahead and I could here sirens in the distance so I knew I was getting close to bypassing the action. Soon, on my right side there was a truck lying upside down in a ditch. It must have been an earlier accident because no one was around it anymore. I then came across a mild accident with a couple cars showing heavy dent marks after a rear-front collision. Nothing looked too serious with the accident but it seemed to be the most recent and thus most active scene. Eventually I passed through the major intersection where most of the hold up was located and we started picking up speed (going a whole 15 mph). As we started rolling, I looked ahead to my left, I saw another truck lying upside down in a ditch, again with no one around it. It was like it just rained trucks along the highway.

In the end I made it safely to work going only about 45 minutes out of my way. Like I said earlier, no one cared all that much that I came in late. In some ways I am very thankful that I accidentally overslept this morning. Who knows what kind of action I might have been mixed up in. The sub-freezing temperatures should moving out soon, but until then remember to practice your safe driving etiquette!

Coming Around Full Circle

During my senior year of college, while on our way to a club in Hollywood for a friend’s 21st birthday party, I was on the phone with my brother when I walked past David Cross and his entourage. It just goes to show you that you never know who you’re going to see when you’re walking the streets of Hollywood. About a block later from this “celeb-sighting”, I was caught off-guard by another series of sightings. As I said in my original post,

Probably the highlight of my night occurred when, as we were walking and I was talking, we passed by David Cross. We also walked by Neil Flynn from "Scrubs" and David Koechner from SNL and "Anchorman" standing outside of the Olympic Improv. I later discovered that they had performed there earlier with their group called Beer Shark Mice. Patrick got an earful every time I walked by someone.

Well things really do come around full circle as Jessica and I were deciding what to do Saturday night. Should we go out to dinner in Pasadena? See a movie in theatres? Maybe go to Santa Monica? Nothing piqued our interest until Jessica queried about different comedy clubs. It was an interesting turn in the discussion and it only took me a moment to recall my previous encounter with the members of Beer Shark Mice. So we found the website for the Olympic Improv and sure enough they were performing at 9pm. It was as if destiny was calling us. We raced to pre-order tickets online, then dressed up for a night in Hollywood-land.

Fortunately, everything was within blocks of where Jessica works, so she knew of a cheap place to park and a classy restaurant for dinner right around the corner. The restaurant itself was booked until 11pm, unless, of course, we wanted to eat outside. Despite the cold weather, we chose to chance it and we were quickly ushered to a table conveniently located underneath a heat lamp. The dinner was a little pricey, but very good.

When we had finished our meal, it was time to start heading over to the comedy club so we paid our bill and left. As we walked along the street, I recognized the sign that ingrained itself into my mind when I first walked past it years ago and knew that we had arrived at our destination. Just before we entered, we saw Andy Dick walking out the door and around the corner. Curious as to what other celebrities we might see, we opened the door and walked in.

The previous act just finished once we got our ticket stubs, so we scored some nice seats down in front (there was also a balcony and plenty of stair seating) of the small theater. A nearby staff member replied to our inquiries that he was uncertain if either David and/or Neil would be performing but a few minutes later, we saw both walk past the crowd to the back of the stage. We got ourselves some drinks at the bar and prepared to laugh.

The show itself was a long-styled improv format I’ve come to know as ‘Slacker’ where a single bit of information is initially given (in our case, the location of a ballpark) and the players build-off that suggestion (changing characters, locations, plots, etc.) for a 40+ minute improv session. We saw everything from the first-ever pizza/psychiatry business, to a convenience store that grossly undercharges for items, to a private security business, to the trenches of war, and of course to Wrigley Field (where poor old Timmy sells confections). It was all pretty funny and I really enjoyed all of the guys. In the blink of an eye it was over, and afterwards we gave our kudos to Neil on our way out the door.

The evening turned out better than either of us could have anticipated earlier in the day, especially since everything seemed like such a rash decision. Our night in Hollywood wasn’t over quite yet as we went next door to Cinespace, a restaurant/movie theater/nightclub mix for one last drink and a chance to feel important (Jess got in for free because of her business connections, on whose coattails I rode on to get in).

After a spontaneously busy evening, we called it a night and headed back East towards Altadena, but not until after fulfilling destiny’s call that had lured me back to the opportunity I noticed long ago. It only begs the question: Where will fate guide me this week?

Lamb Overdose

Two weeks ago I was shopping at Trader Joes for the first time in a couple months. I had kept meaning to go in order to restock on food, but I have found that the grocery store just around the corner is not only closer, but is usually always less crowded as well. So upon arriving at TJ’s I tried to hold myself back from getting too carried away in my long absence, and for the most part I did rather well. That is, except for the huge lamb hock I snagged.

For those who might not already know, I am rather obsessed with lamb meat. This obsession has stemmed from my love for deliciously unique tastes and the infrequency of which I get to dine on lamb. My love for lamb didn’t really start until a couple of years ago and I found that the more I ate lamb, the more I craved it because of its delicious rarity. So in my already excited state, I happened upon lamb that I just had to procure despite the cost or enormous size. This was a slab of meat large enough to feed a family that I bought for just my lonesome.

Last week I decided to celebrate the end of a hectic holiday season and the beginning of a new year by having a date with the lamb and myself. The meat was already pre-seasoned and I followed the baking instructions on how to best cook the meat. It was only after I had finished cooking the meat (with some delicious garlic mashed potatoes and fresh green beans) that I realized that I could feed a family of five with this single meal. But that didn’t stop me from having two big slabs of lamb meat.

When I had eaten my fill, I was faced with the sudden problem of how to store the leftovers, let alone what to do with it all. Eventually, I managed to find a way to fit everything into my fridge. The next day for lunch, I made myself a lamb sandwich that I found to be rather tasty and satisfying to my underlying lamb cravings. That night it was more lamb, but this time I cubed it and sautéed it with a jar of masala sauce for an Indian flair. By now, I was getting my pretty fill of lamb. The next day I left for the weekend and left the remaining lamb for the next week.

It is now that next week and I have yet to go back to the lamb. Every time when I open the fridge and look at the lamb, I change my mind and look elsewhere for food. What have I done to myself?!?! My cravings and love for lamb has subsided. The once exotic meat that was so rare to encounter in my dietary adventures has now reached a commonplace ranking with beef, pork and chicken. I have destroyed the very thing that I loved through my insatiable obsession. Just like Victor Frankenstein, I was driven mad by my cravings until it was too late and I realized the faults of my ways.

It doesn’t have to end on a sour note. I think tonight will be the last night that I have lamb in what will probably be a very long time. Despite its recent occurrence, I will cherish every bite as I kiss goodbye a treasured friendship.

Holiday Hangover

My eyes glaze over as they stare into the computer screen. Fingers twitch slightly out of hesitation as the mind tries desperately to stay focused and awake.
God, I’m tired.
It’s my first week back at work since the holiday break and it’s my Friday to work. Granted I did get Monday off, but this week has gone by quickly in a slow sort of way. As my mind fills with jelly as I try to piece together some kind of post.
I should have gone to bed earlier last night.
The coldness overnight hasn’t helped exactly in making me want to “rise and shine” out of my bed in the wee hours of the morning.
There’s got to be something I can write about, but….
Pudding. That’s what my mind has decomposed to. Being away from the office, much less a computer for nearly two weeks has had a more drastic side-effect than I anticipated. By the end of the week, my mind is too tired, too unfocused to string together any sort of cohesive thought.
Thank God I’m an engineer.
I slowly sip from my water cup and place it back on the desk in front of me, as I look for inspiration from anything around me – the telephone knows nothing, as does the planner, the satchel or the wastebasket. Looking down at the keyboard, my fingers look like soldiers waiting for their general to lead them, and helpless to act on their own. Maybe out of sheer determination they’ll create something by themselves.
(There’s a long, silent pause. The humming of the computer is just masked by the pop music echoing down the hall. Then there is a slow intake of breath, followed by a long exhale).
I should probably do something work related, but at this hour (especially on a Friday) it’s difficult enough to get motivated to work even without the mind-meld. As my brain oozes into Slushee form, I give a slight shudder of coldness. I’ve done too much in the past two weeks to just be sitting here in a quiet office on a Friday. My mind lurches and my eyes droop with each passing minute. It’s the classic holiday hangover here at work. Let’s just hope I’m cured by next week. This is just the calm before the storm.
God, I’m tired.

A Year In Review

Thanks to the lack of internet at my apartment and an unusually busy December here at the office I didn’t get a chance to post anything before or during my holiday break. I enjoyed my time off by celebrating Christmas and New Years with family and friends and did a lot of other fun activities like golfing, movie-watching, shopping, dart-throwing, sleeping, barhopping, bowling, eating, gift-giving, ultimate-frisbeeing and watching plenty of football. Needless to say, it was a very busy break and everything went by so quickly, but I’m back now and am here to recap the past year by highlighting some of the high and low moments of 2006. There were thousands of unforgettable moments from this past year, which I have narrowed down to those I could recall. So here they are:

41 Memorable Moments Of 2006

Movies
1. Best New Movie Seen - Little Miss Sunshine
2. Best Old Movie Seen - All About Eve
3. Worst New Movie Seen - X-men 3: X-men United
4. Worst Old Movie Seen - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
5. Weirdest New Movie Seen - The Science of Sleep
6. Weirdest Old Movie Seen - The 5,000 fingers of Dr.T
7. Disappointment Film of the Year - The Last Kiss
8. Best Movie Soundtrack - A Prarie Home Companion
9. Memorable Theater Moment - At Wordplay when the director paid a visit for a quick hello.
Television
10. TV Show of the Year - The Office
11. TV on DVD of the Year - Veronica Mars Seasons 1 & 2
12. Guilty Pleasure TV Show - Penn and Teller's: Bullsh*t!
13. Best TV Channel - Turner Classic Movies
14. Best TV Soundtrack - Grey's Anatomy
15. Saddest TV Moment(s) - Arrested Development and Love Monkey getting cancelled.
Music
16. Best New Song of the Year - The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Song by The Flaming Lips
17. Worst New Song of the Year - Chain Hang Low by Jibbs
18. Weirdest New Song of the Year - Roses and Teeth for Ludwig Wittgenstein by Matmos
19. Album of the Year - People Gonna Talk by James Hunter
20. Best Live Concert - James Hunter
Pop Culture
21. Pop Culture News of the Year - Creepy new celebrity couples, their new babies and junk.
22. Celebrity Sighting of the Year - Pope Benedict XVI
23. Funniest Celebrity Sighting of the Year - Eric McCormack rocking out in his car.
24. Creepiest Celebrity Sighting of the Year - Simpson's director David "Grope" Silverman.
25. Game of the Year - Lego Star Wars 2
News
26. The "Oh Yeah, I Forgot That Was This Past Year" Moment - The Turin Winter Olympics
27. Biggest Rejection of the Year - Pluto being ousted as a planet.
28. Sporting News of the Year - Steroids!
29. Saddest Death of the Year - Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter
About Me
30. My Big News of the Year - Going to Europe for 2 weeks
31. What This Year Proved - That I indeed do have a big head.
32. Worst Public Experience - Getting a bloody nose in an L.A. burlesque club.
33. Coincidence of the Year - Living in the former apartment of my high school Spanish teacher.
34. Hang Out Place of the Year - Fishlips
35. Best Party - Our annual Christmas Party
36. Best Dare - Spraying Tim in the face with salad dressing.
37. Best Contest - The Mighty Chapstick Race
38. Chris Quote of the Year - "You know what rehab backwards spells? BEER!"
39. Regret of the Year - That I didn't read more books.
40. My Person of the Year - My girlfriend, Jessica
41. What I Will Regard 2006 as - The Year of the Movie (178 new movies seen)

Feel differently? Comment below.