Catching Up

Well...I'm back.

I apologize for the my lack of posting. I was gone for two weeks in Cupertino California training to be a Mac Genius. It was a great experience.

Now that things are back to normal, I can hopefully get back to posting more.

Emolyn's iPod continued

Lost Soul - Bruce Hornsby
One of my favorite musicians. This guy could add music to the ingredients of Lucky Charms and I would buy the album. A wonderful duet with Shawn Colvin. Beautiful song. This version is off of the Hornsby's "greatest hits" album Intersections.

After the Curtain - Beirut
Just found out about this group while at training. Very few lyrics but the instrumentation is outstanding.

Don't Slow Down - Copeland
I love these guys. There is something about a song being powerful with a full band and being as powerful if not more with just two acoustic guitars.

Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
I had to put some jazz in this mix. The tone of the saxophone just cuts into me. 5/4 at it's best.

Show the Way - David Wilcox
These lyrics are amazing. My church's worship band played this song one Sunday and I was lucky enough to play lap steel on it.

My Lady's House - Iron & Wine
Simplicity always wins

Clay Vessels - Randy Thompson
I struggled with wanting to put all of his radio hits in the mix but I settled on some of his deep cuts. Emolyn loves to fall asleep to Gramie and Pop Pop singing.

I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
I can't decide if I love their music or their band name more. A beautiful song that again proves that a voice and a guitar can create more than an orchestra. I'm still searching for a singer that annunciates better than Ben Gibbard.

Songbird - Fleetwood Mac
They named their band after the bassist and drummers last names. Come on!

Strangers In A Car - Marc Cohn
Another amazing song off of Cohn's first CD. If I could write chord progressions like this I probably wouldn't be writing this blog. I would have my Blogbot doing it for me. Maybe.

Emolyn is crying and I think it might be Maurices fault.

Emolyn's iPod

As any good father should do, I got Emolyn a pink iPod nano so that she could have the appropriate tunage for her nursery. Over the next couple posts I will discuss the songs I have chosen.

But, let me just say before you begin reading this: I'm not into the whole "Baby Einstein" thing that is supposed to make your kid smarter. I grew up listening to the sweet sounds of a 1978 Datsun B-210 engine and I turned out fine.

Since her playlist is on random, here is the first 10 songs:

Say - John Mayer
This guy had serious songwriting chops. I don't care what people say about him, he's funny (see my link of the week), he's an amazing guitar player and he's one of the few artists that openly admit that he's "Trying to find the middle ground between the phrases “million units” and “artistic integrity.”" This song is just so catchy AND good. Great chorus.

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL - Sufjan Stevens
This guy is an amazing song writer. His songs sound serious, honest, playful and jovial all at the same time. I thought of just filling her iPod with his discography and saying "done."

Drifting - Andy McKee
Check out the video of him playing! Beautiful song.

Overdue - The Get Up Kids
Love these guys. Sweet song. Great usage of the word "penance."

Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
If you haven't heard this song then I can't even begin to explain it. A Cappella with a vocal harmonizer. Beautiful.

Little Eyes - Yo La Tengo
Such a sweet song. It was hard finding songs that were quiet the whole way through and that didn't build to something really loud at the end. When I got the iPod, I think this was the first song I put on it.

One Safe Place - Marc Cohn
Such a cool song. This is the live version off of his live album (go figure) so it has this feel that the studio can't create.

On Your Porch - The Format
These guys write some great stuff. Quiet and powerful.

Song A - Bruce Hornsby
This song is off of his Intersections Cd. What I love about this song is that it's just piano and that's exactly what I wanted.

Walk On Water - Marc Cohn
His self titled album could have been all that she listened to and I would have been fine with that. More where this one came from.

More to follow.

Early morning study

Since I'm going to be leaving this Sunday to go do Apple Genius training, which is training for in-store computer support and repair (once done with training, my actual title will be Apple Genius), I have a week of at-home study. I have the joy of doing most of it with little Emolyn helping (pooping). You wouldn't believe how long it took to type this...

Thats right, I'm wearing a Regis high school sweat shirt. I love you Wisconsin.

From a new father

Well, I'm back. I didn't really go anywhere, but I didn't come here.

What brings me back to my blog you ask? I really don't know. I think the whole concept behind a blog is to have a venue to just think...to flesh out ideas about anything. It's a strange concept because a journal used to be something that you hid. You wrote what you wanted no one else to know. But, with a blog, you have a journal that is a running conversation with everyone. I like this because these thoughts have to go somewhere and my wife isn't that into my thoughts on issues like: Bands and why they feel they need define their "sound." So, with all that, I'm here to say: I'm back and I'm ready to talk about it.

I don't really know exactly what I'll be writing about, but now that I have a baby girl, I think I'll have a lot more to say.

Can't wait to get started.

Wait, there is MORE!!

Day 8:

Shawn back in the "storytellers" seat.  This was another road trip day.  Not only did we get to see great sites, but we also got to experience the wonderful Hawai'i rain.  The rain is a light drizzle-almost like what the mister systems try to create in Phoenix.  We traveled to the Waimea Canyon which is on the western side of Kauai.  The canyon was amazing and hopefully the pictures show this.  The other sites we saw were when we finally made it to the end of highway 56...we went as far as we could and then saw the ocean from up high which made for some great pictures.

Explanation for the below 2 pictures here

My Beautiful Wife!

For those who didn't think I'd amount to anything...I did it!

Day 9:

Snorkeling in Puipu.  We took some underwater pictures but have not yet developed them.  Maybe we will invite you to our house to see them...maybe not.  Really great fish and they swam right up to you.  Jealousy has gotten the best of you.

Day 10:

Shopping.  It was all that you think it was.  Maybe we got you something, maybe we didn't.  Volunteer to watch our dog next time and you could be one of the lucky ones.  We visited some great arts and craft fairs full of local goods.  Ate some more shave ice at the "best place on Kauai."  Pictures weren't taken on this trip.  Sorry.

Day 11: 

Today!  Nicole and I are spending the day together just hanging out at a coffee shop in front of a computer...very romantic.  We took some pictures before we found this place so enjoy!

Hawai'i and the like

Greetings all.  

Nicole and I are doing well.  Internet access is sparse so I apologize for all the time that has passed since my last entry.  I've heard some of you want more stories behind the pictures so I'll let Nicole dictate the happenings to you.

Day 5: 

The Glass beach-for you Linda!  Shawn, my mom, grandparents and I all took the trip together.  The scattered glass on the beach is from an old dump so now the broken bottles have become smooth jewels for the taking.  Not only did we search for glass but had some great Chinese food from a local eatery.  

Day 6: 

My grandparents treated us to a wonderful dinner at The Beach House.  The restaurant didn't believe in shades so we spent dinner blocking the sun with our menus and eating one handed.  The food was delicious and the we were rewarded with a gorgeous sunset.  Unfortunately all the best pictures were taken by my mom so these will have to do.  These are of Shawn and I hanging out at the bar before getting our table.

Day 7:

Trip to the North Shore.  It's just as ritzy as it sounds.  Princeville (or Princeton as my Grandma calls it) and Hanalei (where Puff the Magic Dragon is from) make up the North Shore.  We had our first experience with Shave Ice...that's right, it's SHAVE ice, not ShavED ice.  You mainlanders may think of some lame-o church picnic snow cone...oh no, this isn't for the weak of heart.  Shave Ice is usually served with Macadamia nut ice cream (that's right, its ICE cream, not ICED cream)  on the bottom of your ozone killing styrofoam cup and is then topped with a mound of finely shaved ice which is then doused with up to 3 flavors of your choice.  There are many shave ice huts in the game, but few actually deliver.  Unfortunately there are no cameras allowed in these primitive huts so you will have to look at the pictures of the rest of our trip.  Many of these are of the very north shore and the scenery was breath taking.  

The cave behind me was dug by hand by ancient Hawaiians looking for evil spirits that they never found.

Hawai'i Part II

Hey again.

First off, sorry about the shortness of the last post and the hastiness of this post...internet connection is at a minimum here on the islands.  Secondly, I'm abandoning the whole "I'll write this like I'm having a horrible time when ACTUALLY I'm having a really great time!" tone and I'll just give you some pictures and some captions.

Day 3 (Cont.):


All three of the above pictures are from a drive Nicole, Beckie and I took after renting our car and just exploring. 

The four above pictures are of a dragon fruit we bought a side of the road fruit stand.  Pretty mild, the texture and taste are similar to a kiwi.  

Day 4:



These above pictures are from a day at the beach with Beckie and Nicole's grandparents. 

The above pictures were from a trip that Nicole, Beckie and I took to a wildlife reserve. 
Above is the SLEEPING GIANT.  If you look from left to right, you see his head, his open mouth and the rest of his body.  Tequila helps...so does vodka.