Snowmen & Llamas & Guards, Oh My!

This is gonna be kinda quick cuz we are trying to get on the road but...

Yesterday was fun! :)

We drove up to CT because we promised to see Eric Brust in what could be his final performance ever! Or close to it. We left early enough to trudge thru the snow safely (Dad) and still have the time to cruise thru a few of my old stomping grounds. We took Merritt Parkway because of its pleasing aesthetics.



We pulled into Norwalk around noon, bypassed Stew Leonards in interest of time, headed all the way up Route 1, past Pier One where I used to work in Westport, which is now a Men's Warehouse, had some Duchess (which you can only get in CT (Fran loved it)), breezed thru Bridgeport to see the old attic apartment on Scofield Ave, scooted across the highway to Fairfield to see that miserable little place I lived with Tricia & Dean (& Johhny, good times) and made it to Trumbull Highschool just in time to catch Blessed Sacraments' final moments of rehearsal.



Saw some old old friends there, Andrew Hannenberg, Eric Schraeder, Sebastien Galleguillos and finally met Eric's other best bud Carrie.

Then there were llamas.





We had a few hours to kill before the shows we wanted to see began so we took off to Weston, a favorite old stomping ground, to see if we could find my old house. Much to my surprise, my ninja intuition kicked in (like Chris Farley in Beverly Hills Ninja) and we found it, 223 Georgetown Road. As excited as I was that I could find the place we were more excited about the town itself. Let's just say that if this whole Poconos thing doesn't work out this week you will be able to find us in the woods of Connecticut somewhere.



Time to head back to the show, but first, we felt the need to build a snowman.







We got back to the school just in time to run into a ton of old friends (Sherrene Simon, Dale Powers, Lisa & Syreeta) and catch a handful of teams, which, honestly is more than we could handle. We really only came up to see some friends. And we did. So we were good.



We headed home before finals began, but on the way out ran into Maria Ioannnides. Fran & her were really close before Maria moved to NJ, but a reunion was bound to occur. She's all grown up. Also bound to happen.

Ok, be back next week. Stay tuned, catch up, buhbye.

Mixtape> 2.17/08 thru 2.23/08

1. Julius Airwave - Nannerl
2. Grand Archives - Torn Blue Foam Couch
3. R.E.M. - E-Bow The Letter
4. The Delgados - Coming In From The Cold
5. Cold War Kids - Tell Me In The Morning
6. The Cinematic Orchestra - As The Stars Fall
7. Ladyhawk - Dugout
8. Toe - C
9. Dr. Dog - Livin' A Dream
10. The Orange Alabaster Mushroom - Your Face Is In My Mind
11. Cut City - Rival Trial
12. Ani DiFranco - Falling Is Like This
13. Videohippos - Narwhals
14. Stereolab - Margerine Melodie
15. Deep Purple - Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
16. Animal Collective - Bat You'll Fly
17. Rock Plaza Central - My Children, Be Joyful
18. Jeffrey Lewis - Texas
19. Head Of Femur - Oh You're Blue
20. 311 - Don't Stay Home
21. The National - American Mary
    

this might not have the best flow...
in a hurry this morning

Abner Vs. The Snow

Friday Night, Alright!

We're home tonight, doing laundry and watching the Breakfast Club for the 47,258,971st time (I swear there's a competition between stations to see who can make the most ridiculous new censorships in this movie). The reality is that we're leaving first thing in the A.M. for Trumbull and then re-leaving Sunday morning for our weeklong mountain vacation and we are nowhere near ready. No clean clothes, nothing packed, we're not even sure how to get to where we're going. So it's an exciting Friday night. And that's fine.

Right now Fran is cuddled up with Dents watching Anthony Michael Hall squeak his way out of an inevitable confession that he's a virgin and I'm halfway thru a rinse cycle.

Look(ing) Forward To*

Ooh there's a buncha stuff I'm * in the next couple of months, and I'm just so jazzed about it all that I gotta write them down so I can read them back to myself and * them even more.

FRIENDS & FUN

First off, this weekend we will be heading up to Trumbull CT to finally watch our bestest bud Eric Brust [try saying that 11X fast] perform with his Blessed Sacrament. Neither of us have been to a winterguard show in many moons so it should be either very entertaining or it will simply re-enforce the reasons why we haven't been to a winterguard show in all those moons. Either way we are looking forward to a nice mini road trip, seeing some of those friends, and possibly, most definitely, stopping at Stew Leonards.

REST & RELAXATION (& RELOCATION)

We will be coming home Saturday night, late after the show, only because we have to wake up early and head to Swiftwater PA, where we've rented out a condo for the week, serving many purposes. First and most importantly is to see a ton of houses in the surrounding area. We've narrowed it down [temporarily] to Pike County, Bushkill Falls area. We've got about 15 homes to see so it should be a busy week. On top of that we will be job hunting. I am meeting with people who looking for a new director for their HS there, and Fran is going to drop in on some random TJX companies to see if a transfer is possible. And hopefully, somewhere in there we find some vacation-type time where we can relax and explore these towns that could be our future home. It is in the mountains and I hear there are some crazy waterfalls. Ooooh I'm getting gooseflesh.

MUSIC

Mystery Jets, who made my 3rd [on occasion, 2nd] favorite album for 2007 will be putting out their new masterpiece Twenty One on March 24th. I've heard a few tracks already and it's more refined and seems to pack a little less of a punch, but their strength is really the exquisite quality and originality of their songwriting, and that hasn't seemed to falter any.


Matt Ward, who has been the soundtrack of many a Sunday mornings for us the past few years, has teamed up with Frans favorite actress-turned-songstress, Zooey Deschanel. Fran called it on the closing scenes of Elf as Zooey leads a crowd in an endearing sing-a-long of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" when she said, "That girl has a great voice. Who is that?" Indeed. And the title of the record, Volume One, leads us to believe that March 18th is only the beginning.


Bound Stems, who is responsible for my favorite album of 2006, Appreciation Night, and my favorite Ep of 2005, The Logic Of Building The Body Plan, will surely throw me for yet another loop when they put out their latest opus & ode to Chicago, The Family Afloat on June 10th. The countdown has commenced.

The coming months also expect releases & definite album of the year contenders from Tapes 'N Tape, Destroyer, an Ep from the knob twiddling/mind expanding Animal Collective, another opera from the elegant gloom 'n doomers Thee Silver Mt. Zion, and the always prolific R.E.M. will release its 14th album, as well as everyone's favorite sister-fronted rock juggernaut, the Breeders will come back out of hibernation, again. My iPod is gonna be busting a gut. I foresee an upgrade.

MOVIES

A guilty pleasure is gonna be this film 10,000 B.C. Just to see these mastodons and sabre tooth tigers on the screen...that's gonna be very cool. I'm not sure anyone's ever made a movie about this time period so, yeah. Not expecting much, but I do expect to see it in the theater.


You're crazy if you don't think Be Kind Rewind is gonna be hilarious. Even if the sum is less than its parts, this is a brilliant idea for a story, with brilliant casting in Jack Black & Mos Def [check out that name tag], and it's written by a brilliantly imaginative director. My money's on: Brilliant.


As if I wasn't already itching to see The Dark Knight, the recent airing of the only tolerable prequels, the first Tim Burton version & Batman Begins, on late night TV has really got me going. You better believe I will be seeing this opening weekend, on a Sunday evening naturally.


Don't let the title scare you away. This just looks darling.

Vitameatavegamin

I haven't seen this til yesterday, and then again this morning (and then again just now), but this has to be the funniest episode of I Love Lucy in existence. I was actually laughing out loud each time. I mean this just blows modern day sitcoms away. It's uncomplicated and pure comedy. I think I see foresee a substantial investment in the I Love Lucy boxset in the near future.



...and it only gets funnier from there.

Mixtape> 2.10/08 thru 2.16.08

1. Beulah - Don't Forget To Breathe
2. Dog Day - End Of The World
3. Minus Story - In Line
4. Gotye - Heart's A Mess
5. Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof
6. Mew - Chinaberry Tree
7. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Strange Form Of Life
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Mama, Won't You Keep Those Castles In The Air And Burning?
9. Tripping Daisy - Jim's Longtime Voice
10. Sandro Perri - The Drums
11. The Killers - The River Is Wild
12. Radiohead - No Surprises
13. Doves - There Goes The Fear
14. Cap'n Jazz - The Sands Have Turned Purple
15. Regina Spektor - Chemo Limo
16. By The End Of Tonight - Uncontrollable Like A Teenage Daughter
17. The Ark - Gimme Love To Give

I like this one.

It Feels So Unnatural, Peter Gabriel Too...

Best new band so far this year, Vampire Weekend. Some of the songs of their debut sound like they could have come right off Paul Simon's Graceland which is one of my all-time favorites. The lyrics are intelligent, the music is intricate, but it all comes off so simple. Ok so go get it.

Vote For Pedro

"I dominated that era and I did it clean. I can stand by my numbers and I can be proud of them. I have a small frame and when I hurt all I could do was take a couple of Aleve or Advil, a cup of coffee and a little mango and an egg - and let i go!" -Pedro Martinez

It Has Begun

Yesterday, players reported to Port St. Lucie, Florida, and it can be said that the New York Mets have officially kicked off their 47th season. Lots of exciting things, a few worrisome things, it doesn't matter, I just wanna get the season started and get the memory of 2007's morbid finale out of my head. Here's how it's gonna look:

STARTERS

Unless you've been living under a rock, or just generally don't care, you know the Mets were involved in probably the biggest trade of this off season when they acquired Johan Santana from the Twins for Carlos Gomez, who will be missed, & three pitchers. Now I know you're gonna say he gave up a ton of homeruns last year, but Shea is a flyball park and he won't be facing all those designated hitters here. Mark my words, the man will win 20 games. Pedro Martinez is healthy, maybe a little too healthy but after sitting out most of last year only to come in at the end of the season and pitch shut out baseball, is expected to continue where he left off. John Maine is my diamond in the ruff. I love this guy and I think that he won't be overshadowed by the top two in the rotation. And this year he will get that no hitter. Oliver Perez will look to have another 15 win season and El Duque is primed for a Nolan Ryan style comeback year. Mike Pelfrey, the youngest would-be starter in the lineup, had a rough season last year, but finished off the season comparably strong. Interested to see how he comes out of the gate as the potential number six man. I also hear someting of this guy Brian Stokes muscling the ball over the plate. Who knows what's going on there.

CATCHERS

With Lo Duca (no that is not his full name Francis) crawling away to the Nationals, Mets kept on Roman Castro and gained Brian Schneider in a trade with the Nationals for Lastings Milledge, which did not sit well with me. While Schneider is no spring chicken, I think that the combination of Castro's offense when rested and Schneider's experience calling games will balance well and make a strong duo behind the plate.

INFIELD

A welcome and familiar scene here, Mets could have the best infield in the National League if not all of the majors. As long as Carlos Delgado can stay healthy he is primed to return to his glory days and rediscover that behemoth of a swing. Castillo is gonna be on point now that he can feel comfortable in his new longterm home and his old buddy Santana on board. Reyes really needs to redeem himself after a miserable slump ended his 07 season, but the Mets adamant refusal to trade him, even for Santana is a good sign of their faith in Jose. And I predict a record season for third baseman David Wright this year. It's about time to show Ryan Howard who the most powerful hitter in the NL is. The infield's backups Ruben Gotay, Anderson Hernandez & Damion Easley put the mind at ease and are an easy go-to for late in the game relief.

OUTFIELD

They're calling it the ABC outfield this season: Alou, Beltran & Church. Ryan Church was included in that trade to the Nationals and will hopefully be favored over Milledge's explosive yet unrefined play in right field. Beltran was haunted by injuries last year so as long as he can stay healthy he has no reason not to make the amazing plays in center and swing the bat. Alou ended last season as the hero of this team and is one of the smartest hitters in the game today. Let's not forget about Endy Chavez, who will bounce around all three outfield positions and hold his own at the plate. And I can't not mention Marlon Anderson who, while not much of a position player, will retain the title of pinch-hitter extraordinaire in those interleague games.

BULLPEN

The final lineup is still unclear at this time, but I think the key for this bullpen is for Billy Wagner to climb back up out of the murky depths we saw him end last season in. That and the return of Duaner Sanchez will be a determining factor on winning or losing late in games. Other shoe-ins and middle relievers like Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman & Jorge Sosa have a lot to prove after catching most of the blame for the team's collapse last season but with Santana's ability to plow through late into games, this bullpen will get the rest they could need to be effective.

PREDICTION
It looks good on paper but we've been there before. Can't help but think Willie Randolph's job is on the line this year, and I for one would like to see him stick around, as long as it's the result of at least some playoff games. So my official prediciton for this season: 92-70. I look forward to watching every game.

Burgundy Night

Last night we got a nice bottle of wine and sat down behind the computer screen to search out some bellylaughs. Where else to turn but Clark & Michael. If you're yet to see this little tidbit then you are missing out. That's all I have to say about that.

After a few new episodes we decided on some good ol' fashion Youtubing. I began to tell Francis of my days as a 15 year old staying up til 2am watching Alternative Nation & 120 Minutes hoping to be turned on to a new band. At that time it's all we really had back in 1994.

Sonic Youth - Bull In The Heather


Dinosaur Jr. - Feel The Pain


I played her some old favorites and then gave her a crash course in Radiohead. Needless to say the night was awash with Paranoid Android, Knives Out & my personal favorite, Anyone Can Play Guitar. Her favorite was No Surprises. No surprise there.



In other news, Uno the beagle won the Westminster. First beagle ever. I like beagles, but I was rooting for the Irish wolfhound, Scottish deerhound and the plott. I like the hounds.


WARNING: NON-SENSICAL RANT AHEAD
And I'm trying not to care about the Clemens/McNamee thing, but I did catch a couple hours of this brouhaha yesterday and can't help but be overwhelmed by the idiocy of the whole thing. Not Clemens or McNamee, no their both liars and both guilty and nothing is going to happen to them, but what an absolute waste of time and money this is. They spoke forever about whether or not the nanny-tampering Clemens was at Canseco's house for lunch, and no one bothered to realize that there was nothing to prove or disprove from getting to the bottom of it. Did they wanna know if Jose made good ribs or something? A few members of the House played up to the public, conveying their "extreme disappointment" in the accused and said the whole situation disgusted them, as if everyone else happy about it and having a good ol' time. Actually Clemens wife looked ecstatic. You're wearing that face a little too hard there sweetie. Then they attack McNamee, calling him a liar and saying he is now contradicting things he's said in the past in interviews and in press conferences years ago. Of course he is! Why would he willingly out these guys and implicate himself if he wasn't under oath? You don't just drop a bombshell like that just because. One dude actually came out with the line "You lied to America!". Haha. The whole thing was insanely pointless. They both looked bad. They are both liars. It doesn't matter. That's all I have to say about that!

13 Ampersands

because I felt like it.

/and..