Monday, May 30, 2005

For What It's Worth

I'm sure many people think of Memorial Day as just an extra day off work, and, even after spending over eight years in the Air Force, I probably fall into that category most of the time. But at the same time, my tenure in the military, and especially deployments to Pakistan, Qatar, and Iraq, has brought a lot of things to light. We've lost thousands of troops since we invaded Iraq. Civilian deaths are in the tens of thousands. I'm not going to get into a bunch of politics and ethics about pointless pre-emptive invasion, but I will say this: no matter who you are, whether you support this war or not, if you have a single American bone in your body, you have to admit your desire to end this conflict as soon as possible and bring our troops home. It IS possible to support the troops without supporting the war. How?

1) Go to Any Soldier or other similar website and send a care package to a troop in harm's way.
2) Write a letter to your congressman or representative telling them not to vote for any legislation that lowers the pay and benefits of our military, especially in war zones.
3) Volunteer at your local USO.
4) Whatever you do, DON'T get one of those ridiculous yellow ribbons on the back of your car. The money made from those doesn't support troops in any way, and plus, they're just annoying. Everytime I see one, I just want to stop the person and bow down in front of them and say, "Oh, WOW! YOU ARE SO PATRIOTIC!!!" If you want to support the troops, do so in words and deeds. Not in magnets.
5) Pray. This probably sounds the most cliche, but it's also the most effective.

Victory Over Justification

I just watched a documentary on The Sundance Channel called Control Room about media coverage of the war in Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera, the Arab news channel. Most of the footage was gathered between the time the invasion began and our occupation of Baghdad. All US military-media relations took place at CENTCOM, located in Doha, Qatar, about 35 miles from Al Udeid Air Base, where I was the whole time the war was going down. Seeing all this really took me back to my time there, and it also educated me on different perspectives and a lot of the stuff I missed. Definitely a good watch.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Summer Lovin'

Well, it's Memorial Day weekend, and you know what that means - Summer Is Here! And what better way to improve those long, hot days and super-fun nights than by complimenting it with the proper soundtrack, right? So, I've taken it upon myself to go through my entire music collection (which is a lot) and pick out the best albums and songs for you, the reader, to which to listen. Though I can't say for sure each of you will appreciate each tune as much as I have, I can attest to the fact each song has had its place in enhancing my own summer pleasure.

Albums:

"Natural Ingredients" by Luscious Jackson
This album is what I imagine it would sound like in New York City in July. It's full of dance funk and great for cruising around town with the windows down.

"Weezer (The Green Album)" by Weezer
This album reminds me of my first summer in Japan. In particular, a certain camping trip to Kazakienchi that Evan Burd would probably prefer everyone forget, but I sure had a blast. Most die hard Weezer fans aren't big on this album, but it's undeniably some of their best light-hearted pop music. The melodies are simple and memorable and you just can't keep from singing along.

"Dig Me Out" by Sleater-Kinney
I fell in love with this album during my first summer in Vegas. I had just bought it after reading tons of great reviews. I love girlie-punk and now S-K is one of my favourite bands ever. "Dig Me Out' is such a masterpiece and even now, when I hear it, I still get nostalgic for driving my Camry down the Strip in 115 degree heat.

"Celebrity Skin" by Hole
This was the album Courtney made after she left Seattle behind and became a big movie star, and the whole thing just sounds like California. You can't hear "Malibu" or "Boys On The Radio" and not feel as though your walking along the beach in Santa Monica.

"World Clique" by Deee-Lite
People think of these guys as one-hit-wonders, but this album was way ahead of its time. Another great dance album perfect for a beach party.

"Who Is Jill Scott?" by Jill Scott
Just a great, mellow, smooth R&B album that's all about love. Great for watching a sunset with your baby.

"Simpatico" by Velocity Girl
Quite possibly the most perfect alt-pop album ever created.

"Parklife" by Blur
I wonderful Brit-pop album. It was released in the summer of '94, but I didn't really get into Blur until the summer of '99. This record is full of great tunes and makes me imagine how cool it would be to spend a few months trekking around London.

"...And Out Come The Wolves" by Rancid
The first true punk band I ever really appreciated. I was totally addicted to this album during the summer of '95.

"Californication" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Nothing says "summer" like California, where it's summer all year long. This album was the Peppers' ode to their home state.

"Melody A.M." by Royksopp
A smooth electronic album that's ideal for mellowing out after a crazy night.

"Good Humour" by Saint Etienne
A simple, yet addictive, happy Euro-pop album. Sarah Cracknell's voice is so light and it just floats over these wonderful pop tunes.


Songs:

"Vacation" by the Go-Gos
"Pure Shores" by All Saints
Anything by Al Green (you gotta love the Reverend's smooth grooves)
Anything by the B-52s (super fun retro surf dance rock)
"Do Something" by Macy Gray
"Raspberry Beret" by Prince
Anything by Sublime
"California Love" by 2-Pac & Dr. Dre
Anything by the Beach Boys (the original surf rockers)
"Mickey" by Toni Basil (arguably the best 80s song ever, I used to hear this at the skating rink when I was in elementary school)
"Holiday" by Madonna (you didn't think I was going to make a music list and leave off Madonna, did you?)

I'm sure there's tons I've left out, but for those who are looking for something new and different to listen to during picnics, road trips, hikes, trips to the pool, etc., especially something to make this a summer to remember, this should get you started.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Feelin' the Vibe


Open Mike at Mojo's
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Last night, Caleb, Summer, Phil, Ryan, and I went to this coffee house in Ogden called Mojo's for a little open mike thing. It was a pretty cool place, despite the large populace of high school kids. Caleb and Ryan got up and played for a little while, which was great, until this random guy went up and started playing his drum with them. Weird.

Barefoot in the Park


Cold Feet
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Despite being off work today, I went to bed rather early last night, and slept awfully late today. I think sleep was the one thing I was lacking that was keeping me from getting better. And sleep I did. I woke up late this morning feeling much better than I've felt in a while. I laid around my pad the rest of the morning and decided I felt good enough to go for a run, and as I was getting ready to walk out the door, I got a call from Caleb asking if I would like to go to the park with him and Summer. That sounded just as active as running, and much more fun. So I stopped by Toys R Us and picked up a frisbee and went to Caleb's.


Mountains
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
We went to this park in Ogden that's right along the side of the mountain. Caleb used to play there with his brothers when he was younger. It was a gorgeous day and the park was wonderful. We tossed around the frisbee for a while, and then decided to hike on a few trails up in the woods. Caleb hadn't been there in years, but he knew exactly where to take us.


Caleb in the Drain
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
We hiked quite a ways and came upon a stream coming out of a big concrete storm drain. Caleb said he used to climb up in it when he was little, so, of course, he had to try it again. I didn't have the desire to try it, though.


Caleb in the Jalopy
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Then, as we hiked around a big hill, Caleb took us up to where this old car had been left. I can't even begin to imagine how this car had gotten to where it was, but it had obviously been there for a while. Caleb got inside and pretended to drive it, but I didn't want to touch it for fear of causing it to roll back down the hill.


Hangin' Tough
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
After we got back to the main area, we decided to swing for a while, which I hadn't done in years and it was ever so fun. Then we tossed around the frisbee some more and climbed a few trees.


Summer
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
It was a wonderful day. I'd forgotten how fun and relaxing it is to just spend a day at the park. I think next time we'll pack a lunch and stay a little longer.

Friday, May 27, 2005

'Til Tuesday

Tomorrow is a down day, making this a four-day weekend. I don't really have any big plans except to just relax because a) I spent way too much money in Vegas last weekend, and b) though I'm feeling a little better, I'm still a little sick, and I'm confident some rest will get me up to 100%. My only reservation is that the more I hang around my house, the more I eat, so I may gain a few pounds. But, hey, as long as I'm healthy by the time I have to go back to work, it will all be worth it, right?

Running on Bravado


Bloc Party
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
The show last night was pretty spectacular. My friend Phil went with me, and we arrived just as the first opening band was starting. They were called She Wants Revenge and played angry, mellow dance-rock. Kiss Me Deadly was the second opener and they were a little happier. Plus, they had a female singer who liked to punctuate her choruses with high pitched screams of glee.
It was 10 by the time Bloc Party came out, but it was totally worth the wait. As soon as they hit their first beat, the entire crown was jumping and screaming. Phil and I were toward the back, but somehow made our way toward the front in all the chaos. We had a super time jumping and dancing and shouting and stuff. It was probably a bad idea for my throat, and I'll probably have to endure my cold a little longer, but I don't care. The band sounded great as they made their way through the entire album and included a few B-sides to keep us on our toes.
Also, I decided to try something new at this show. I wore ear plugs. I've been going to lots of shows lately, and the last thing I want to do is end up deaf by the time I'm 40. So I swiped a pack of foamies from work. Since they have everything up so loud, the plugs didn't detract from the quality of the show at all. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep enjoying good live music long into my golden years.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Wheezy

I'm still sick. Yuck. Now, on top of coughing and snotting, I have this horrible wheezing in my chest. Colds are the worst because you feel so horrible, yet you're not sick enough to be put on quarters and stay home from work. Regardless, all the snot in the world couldn't keep me from the Bloc Party show tonight in SLC. They're a British band that plays great pop-y dance rock, plus they get political, which is cool. Anyway, I'll be sure to post the skinny on the show tomorrow, including, as always, pics from my cell phone.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Vega$, Baby!


Jimmy & Me
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
I went down to Vegas this weekend and had a pretty kick-ass time. My brother, his fiancee, and all their friends had flown in for the weekend, plus, Jimmy drove up from Phoenix. Jimmy & I crashed with my friends Jim & Nicole in their very nice brand new house.
I'm not going to go into all the details, but let me just say there was lots of shopping and eating and drinking and general merriment. Highlights included touring the brand new Wynn casino, meeting Pete Rose, and, of course, tossing back a pint at the Crown & Anchor. The only bummer was that I'm in the middle of the worst cold of my life, so I've been coughing and sneezing and snotting all over the place. I'd probably be over it by now if I would have rested all weekend, but COME ON! I was in VEGAS!



Mel & Me
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.




Atrium at the Wynn
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.




Parasol Down
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.




Me, Jimmy, & Pete Rose
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

A New American


Carlos
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Carlos Sandoval is a guy in my shop who was born in Nicaragua. He's lived in the States for 11 years, but it wasn't until today that he became a US Citizen. The ceremony was in Salt Lake City today, and I stopped in on my way to Vegas to catch it. There was 198 people from 53 different countries taking the oath. The whole thing only took about an hour. After they all took the oath, they passed around a microphone to a few people so they could say why they were so glad to be a US citizen. It was so touching and awe-inspiring to hear what some of these people went through. All I had to do was get born in Indiana. It makes me feel so humble and fortunate.

Friday, May 20, 2005

O Brother, At What Casino Art Thou?

My brother, his fiancee, and several of their friends are flying into Vegas for a pre-wedding bash this weekend. I'm driving down tomorrow and staying through Monday. I'm gonna crash with Jim and Nicole, which will be super fun. I also plan to hang out with some good friends from my Vegas days at The Crown and Anchor, my favourite bar in all the world, although Paddy's is a close second. I love Vegas! This weekend is gonna be a blast!

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Finally Woken

I was kinda slacking off on Tripping Lucid for a while. I'm not sure why, but I think it was a combination of chronic oversleeping, bad morning routines, and just plain laziness. I started posting again a few days ago, so it seems the trend is back on again.
In related news, I was going through some of my Misawa boxes and found my old dream journal that I kept in Iraq last year. This journal was actually the inspiration for "Tripping Lucid" (you can read about the origin here). I'm going to start posting the entries, but since all those dreams were dreamt about a year ago, I'm going to just back date them. To view them, you'll have to check in the archives. There are about 25 entries spanning April and May of 2004, so it might take me a while to put everything on there. Please, be patient with my subconscious.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

When I was little, I used to watch "The Flintstones" after school sometimes. One specific episode I found particularly funny involved Fred and Barney winning some kind of drawing. The prize was a house boat. A problem arose when they couldn't decide on a name. Fred wanted to call it "The Nautical," and Barney wanted to call it "The Lady of the Sea." They decided to compromise with the first three letters of Fred's choice and the last three letters of Barney's choice. Yep, that's right. "NAU-SEA."
Now, I understand nausea isn't really something at which to laugh, especially when it's invoked by something as horrible as staff meetings. Staff meetings have to be the worst thing on the face of the planet. Few things make my stomach churn more than sitting in a too small conference room listening to a bunch of old men dawdle on and on about someone's work schedule or the availability of a certain computer. Gag!
Luckily, I found out today that my supervisor should be back next week, releasing me from this burden. It's been a wild and crazy ride, and I'm sure I'll look back on it with a slight grin. Very slight.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Sofa Slug


Sunday Afternoon
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Yeah, Sunday afternoons are great, aren't they?

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Purged

Today, I got rid of a bunch of crap on my computer that, while I wouldn't exactly consider it pornography, did have the tendency to lead me to not-too-nice thoughts from time to time. When the pastor was talking about "Chocolat" last night, he kept mentioning the word "freedom." It's great to have the freedom to enjoy the finer things of this world, but it's even better to be free from the things that bind us.

High on Life

At Church last night, they were continuing their series on finding God in the movies. Last night's movie was Chocolat. I've seen the movie a few times and I really appreciate its criticism of oppressive orgainsed religion and denying ourselves the pleasures God gave us to enjoy in this life.
After Church, I drove to the Gateway Mall, which is a big open air mall in downtown SLC. It's the best mall around, but it still doesn't compare to anything in Vegas. I ended up spending a couple hours in Barnes & Noble and bought a few books.
Then came the barhopping, which was really just one bar. The whole "membership" thing wasn't as big a deal as I thought. It was basically just like paying a $5 cover charge. Regardless, I kinda wish I would have just come home instead. Nothing hurts a guy's ego more than snide looks from anyone you make eye contact with. I still managed to make it out to the dance floor for a while, which kinda made up for it. The floor was so packed that it didn't matter if you were there by yourself or with a group, so that was cool. I think the highlight of my evening was when one really hot girl offered me coke. When I told her I couldn't, she kinda left me alone. Damn the random drug testing!

Tying the Knot

I went to Thaddeus and Ashley's wedding today. It was a little longer than most weddings I've been to, but it was a really beautiful ceremony. One of the coolest parts was when all five Wendt brothers got up and played guitar and sang. At the reception, I met tons of new people, and spent a good while playing with Nate's boy Jake.
Tonight, I'm planning on going back to The Rock Church down in Salt Lake. Afterward, I'm thinking about taking in a movie and maybe doing some barhopping. Part of Utah's drinking laws are that you have to be a "member" to go into any kind of drinking establishment. Needless to say, this is a big pain in the butt, so it's not like you can just go around from bar to bar. You have to make plans in advance. Ridiculous? Yes, but it's apparently doing its job.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Something's NOT fishy, here.

I stopped eating meat over two years ago, but I kept eating fish...until now. I've wanted to quit for a while, but the only thing preventing me was some tuna I had bought a long time ago that was staring at me every time I went into my pantry. I haven't ingested any fish for a few months, but I haven't really rid myself of it until this morning.
In my mailbox yesterday, the postman left some bags for donations for the local food bank. I figured that would a much better place to put my fish than in my belly.

Mama, don't take my kodachrome away

I've given up hope of finding my camera, so I decided to go ahead and buy this. Sure, I had to dip into my savings a little bit, but I just can't do without. Plus, Thaddeus's wedding is tomorrow, and my brother's wedding is next month, and who wants to go to a wedding camera-less?

New slang when you notice the stripes...

When I was at the Shins show Wednesday night, I couldn't help but feel old. It was at the U of U campus, and nearly everyone there was in their early 20s. They were all attractive and had on cool clothes. They were all having interesting conversations full of depth and inside jokes. They all seemed so self-aware.
When I was 20, I was so freaked out by life. I'd already spent two years in college, but I had no clue who I was or what I wanted to do with myself. I knew what I liked about other people, but I didn't have any real identity of my own. It seemed everything about me was something I'd heard from an acquaintance or a movie. I was made up of stolen bits and pieces.
It took years before I developed any real sense of self. Over time, I could see the creature God was and is molding me into. My sense of humour. My disposition. My loyalties. My depth, or lack thereof. My personality. My hurts. My loves.
Sometimes it's so easy to focus on what others possess and we don't. It's been said that youth is wasted on the young, but I don't think I'd ever want to go back 10 years and live through all that again. God has me right here and right now for a reason. Perhaps one day He'll make me into a distinguished 60-something aristocrat driving a convertible along the Pacific Coast Highway with my trophy wife to our beach house in Malibu. Then again, perhaps not.

I think I can...

Work continues to fatigue me. I've heard the resident physicians on the Today Show, ABC Nightly News, Oprah, etc. talk about good stress and bad stress. My stress right now is keeping me pretty motivated, so I guess that would fall into the "good" category. But it's bordering on the bad kind. You know, the kind where I'm about to get medieval on someone's ass if they don't shut up about an overdue work order while I'm simultaneously trying to write a BTZ package, track down a missing civilian, and compose slides for a staff meeting.
As I mentioned, I stayed at work until 7 PM yesterday. There was an emergency job regarding a water leak at the child development center (why don't they just call it day care?), and everyone was really freaking out over it. Normally, jobs like that don't bother me too bad, but it just seemed like everything was piling up yesterday. I'm seriously considering downing a fifth of Jack Daniels and driving through the south gate in order to get demoted to senior airman so I can enjoy the carefree days of fixing sinks and digging trenches once again.
Luckily, my bosses all sympathise with me. They understand my shop is drastically overworked and undermanned. They understand we'd be a lot closer to completing overdue jobs if we didn't have a stupid readiness day every Friday (and soon to be every Thursday, as well). They understand I have a couple "special" troops in my shop that don't quite have the work ethic required of them. They understand the entire shop was in total disarray and it just happened to be dropped in my lap.
Despite all this, I still find myself getting up in the morning and looking forward to each day. I guess I like the challenge or something. I'm not really happy with the military overall, but apparently something keeps me going. I pray it keeps me going until someone else can take over this mess.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Dios es bueno.

Abby is currently in Honduras for a couple weeks on a mission trip. Please keep her in your prayers.

Kissing the Lipless


The Shins
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Last night, I went to see The Shins by myself. Why did I go by myself? Because when I asked anyone else to go, they replied with either a) "I have to work," or b) "Who are The Shins?" And I'm sorry, but if you don't know who the Shins are, then I'm going to have to choose to be a music snob and un-invite you.
The venue was a ballroom at the U of U campus. And when I say "ballroom," I mean a big wooden dance floor and big curtains and big chandeliers. I've never seen a non-big-band concert in such a location, but it was pretty cool. The opening act was a New Zealand multi-gender sextet called The Brunettes. They all sang and played multiple instruments (including the clarinet, the harmonica, and the triangle). They played 60s-influenced alt-pop that was delightfully fun, especially the song they sang about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, where they all donned masks resembling the famous twins.
The Shins came out and played a very impressive set spanning both of their equally impressive albums. For those of you not familiar with The Shins, remember in Garden State when Natalie Portman is listening to the headphones in the waiting room and she puts them on Zach Braff's head and says "It'll change your life, I swear"? THAT'S The Shins. For those of you who still haven't seen Garden State, The Shins play quaint, mellow, 60s-infused pop derivative of The Byrds or Donovan. Their chord progressions are always interesting and the singer can do some amazing stuff with his voice. Anyway, the concert was great and I had a super time, even by myself. I'd love to write more, but I didn't get off work until 7 tonight, and that's an entirely different post in itself. I'll write more this weekend. Late.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Freezes Over

I was getting ready to go to bed last night when my Dad called. He told me he and Mom were watching the national news and they saw that it was snowing in SLC and some of the ski resorts were going to open back up. I knew it was raining where I was, and just figured it was snowing up in the mountains. No big deal, right?
Well, I wake up this morning to find a blizzard going on outside. Everyone probably thinks I'm over-exagerrating, but I'm not. When I was driving home from PT, I couldn't see ten feet in front of my truck.
Come on, Utah! It's the middle of May! Live in the now!

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

TRULY Fair and Balanced

This is a great article by a pastor named Bill Barnwell. It's kinda long, but definitely worth the read.

Monday, May 09, 2005

"So, THIS is why some animals eat their young."

It's Mother's Day (did everyone remember to call their hot mommas?), and the Oxygen Network (my guiltiest of guilty pleasures) is having a Roseanne marathon. I'm working on putting links on my sidebar, but I keep getting distracted by that annoying yet catchy laugh of hers. The earlier ones are better than the later ones, but they're all pretty funny. I have my mac sitting on my lap, and it keeps jiggling around when I laugh. Yeah, I know that by admitting this, I have given up my right to a penis. Just put me out of my misery.

Chutes and Ladders

After the Killers show Monday night, Lana and I went to this cool coffee house downtown to get ourselves a little caffiene for the drive home. Next to the door, there was a big shelf full of independent newspapers and flyers. I picked up a little postcard for a Church in SLC called The Rock Church. So, I decided to go last night. I walked in and the first room had couches, a pool table, a coffee bar, and even a big rock wall to climb. I was by myself, so I just kinda walked around purposefully looking like I didn't know anyone in the hopes someone would introduce themselves to me and show me around. This guy named Paul came up to me, gave me the basics, and showed me to the sanctuary. When the service started, a band came out and played some praise and worship tunes REALLY LOUD. I really love P&W, so I was glad it went on for a long time. The message was part of a series about finding God in the movies. Last night's movie was "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." I'm not a big LOTR fan, but I really appreciated the spiritual truths brought out by the speaker. In the program, there was a big list of all kinds of ministry opportunities, including volunteer events and small group Bible studies. I'm hoping to find an intimate core group to really help me in my spiritual growth, which sounds like a cliche, but I'm kind of in a social drought right now, and I'm getting desperate for some good Christian companionship. I really miss the Hospitality House crew, and I think going to this Church is a step in the right direction to filling that void. Keep me in your prayers.

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Clickety-Click

Since I've found out how to include links on this thing, I've gone a little link crazy. I've started with links to my friends' journals, then added other fun sites I frequent. I'm sure the list will get longer and longer. Gee, the internet sure is fun!

Nonsense

This morning, Lisa, Heidi, Sam, and I were down in Salt Lake City picking up tickets for a Steve Miller Band concert. Afterward, we were driving around looking for a place to eat, when we saw a guy pulled over to the side of the road with a flat tire. He was looking around kind of clueless, so we stopped to ask if he needed any help. He was in need of a jack and a tire iron, so Sam and I hunted through Heidi's trunk and found what we needed and started helping him change his tire. I should mention that the guy's pants were really, REALLY loose, and when he bent over to help, they went down below his butt and his underwear was all showing and stuff. I looked back at Heidi and Lisa, who were still sitting in the car, and they were laughing hysterically and making crude gestures, which made me start giggling. Just then the guy looked back and saw Heidi and Lisa. He looked at me, and I tried to muffle my laughter. There was this really long, awkward pause. Then, he started laughing, which put me at ease. When we got back in the car, we started talking about how lucky we were that the guy wasn't some kind of deranged serial killer. Otherwise, we'd all be in a dumpster right now. I guess that will teach us to make fun of others' fashion sense.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

And there are Christians who wonder why they get labeled as "judgemental"

I'm sorry, but this is both hysterical and pathetic:
Dems Booted from N.C. Church

(Yes! I finally discovered how to post links! Go me!)

Lazy Bones

I had my Air Force PT test on Wednesday, and not only did I pass, but I scored two whole points better than last year. This is doubly impressive considering the elevation here is 4800 feet versus 120 feet in Misawa. So, anyway, as a reward, I decided to skip my afternoon run on Wednesday. And Thursday. I was counting on making up for it with squadron PT this morning, but due to a base recall, it didn't happen. I'm spending most of tomorrow down in SLC with Lana, Heidi, and Sam. Sunday is usually my off day, but I know the longer I slack off, the harder it's going to be to start back up. I'll tell you what, though. Sometimes it's nice to do nothing but lay on my couch and watch movies, especially when it's gloomy and rainy outside.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Missing Megapixels

Yeah, I'm a little upset. I've lost my camera. The last time I remember seeing it was the day I went snowboarding. After I got home, I uploaded all my pictures onto flickr, and I haven't seen it since. I've searched my entire house, my truck, the pockets of all my outerwear, Caleb's house, even at work. And due to a few recent major purchases (i.e. a new washer and dryer, new mac software, and impending plane tickets), I can't just go out and buy a new one. I've kinda started the custom of taking pictures at concerts with my phone, which is pretty fun. Regardless, I miss my wonderful, little, black, 4 megapixel digital camera. Oh, where, oh, where can it be?

...pushing down on me, pressing down on you

As I've mentioned probably a few too many times, I'm currently in charge of my shop, and it's not easy. I have to track job orders, record labour, input the weekly schedule, write up awards packages, and take care of any emergencies that come along. Plus, it's so high profile, I always have people breathing down my neck. And as stressful as all that is, the hardest part is keeping track of where everyone is. You'd be amazed at the ways some of these guys try to skip out of work. Believe me. I'm the king of skipping out of work, and I thought I'd tried everything. Thankfully, my supervisor will be back in only three more weeks, taking back all the responsibilities I've taken care of in his absence. I just hope I can last that long.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

A Shimmy and a Shake


The Killers
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.



Lana & Me
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.
Last night, Lana and I went to see The Killers. The venue was a concert hall on the University of Utah campus, which was kind of odd. It was all reserved seating, so we couldn't really stand by the stage. Regardless, our seats were on the floor so we really couldn't complain. The opening act was Tegan and Sara (See entries dated Sunday, January 16, 2005, and Sunday, March 13, 2005) so it was great to see them again. The Killers came out and performed a great sounding set, but the band didn't seem too energetic. Of course, after watching Scott Weiland strut around the stage last week, it would have been difficult for anyone to follow that up. Brandon Flowers spent most of his time behind his rhinestone studded keyboard. I think the most animated member was the drummer. Still, they sounded phenomenal and renewed my interest in their music, which had, as of late, become a little stale. I guess my only complaint, which seems to be a recurring problem in Utah, was the crowd. Did Joseph Smith declare dancing a sin or something? By the way, did I mention how gorgeous Lana is? Yeah, I'd just like mention that again.