Already there's dread in 2008

i wish i could be more optimistic. i'm already dreading certain components of 2008. ugh! and yet the beat goes on and all a girl can do is try.

it's tough being a minnesotans this time of year. sub-par sporting teams, cold weather, it sucks the hope out of a person. then there is all the nonsense of "new resolutions" and "breaking habits". sure some people stick to it. some people get excited for new years, new things and maybe it's because they feel they have new hope.

writer's block, brings out the worst in me. ho-hum, back to the grindstone of 2008.

It's Cold and Lonely as the only "Marketeer"

I work in marketing. I am the marketing department. A department of one. And on most days I enjoy all aspects of the gig. I am a born multi-tasker and thrive on being able to turn my brain on a dime. From creative big ideas to the hard work it takes to implement them. I HEART being able to do both. Because I knew early on that a routine job where I did the same thing everyday, well, while stability is nice, that kind of routine would kill my spirit.

But I gotta admit it's kinda lonely being the only marketing person in the organization. Because with marketing everyone thinks they know how to do it. They think it's a simple as taste and if something "looks good." Silly bastards.

I'm just wishing I more folks who had big picture AND the ability to make it happen. Unfortunately those at the top get caught up in the details of things. Friggin' frusterating.

I realize I am getting lame and venting. But sometimes one juts need to get it out in order to get through the day.

TGI FRIGGIN FRIDAY.

Is that cold November Rain or cold November Trade?

I admit the Santana Sweepstakes has me a bit curious. Isn't it the joy/anguish of every sports fan to play the role of GM and what would I do scenarios? It's part of the Madden game syndrome and the Internet that makes us everyday fans toil with the idea of being GM. And it's usually those of us who played sports, enjoyed the competition but realized at an early age that we were never going to make "A Field of Dreams" so we school ourselves on thinking we are smart business people and hence we gab endlessly about managerial decisions, GM trades or lack thereof, and the business components to sports. As much as we like to think they are games we love -- it truth American Sports are businesses with a bottom lines, stakeholders and profits to make.

So with the best pitcher in baseball what do the Twins do? It's much more fun to speculate than to actually have to live with it. So good luck boys.

An overdue catch up (with myself)

I've carried a journal around with my since I was a kid. I loved to write. Even if it didn't make any sense, have a plot or was grammatically inaccurate. I liked it. Always have, always will. For me, writing is a time to tap into my imagination or to articulate through pen the everyday occurrences that mean something for a moment and then disappear. I am that person who has journals full of "quotes to note" as I call them. I also have 100s of pages worth of story telling in bits -- meaning -- it's harder to remember what I was actually writing about. But eventually I get the gist. Trust me, when I die it will be a lot of paper to be recycled and if anyone is remotely interested, it will be sort of like a game or a treasure hunt to make sense of my rambles. Like now? I'm a rambler. If I could only grasp onto my thoughts long enough to make an tangible sense of them ....but it's a struggle I've had since childhood.

Actually it just feels nice to time and pretend like I am working on the 2008 planning and budget like I should be. But that's not doing "it" for me. I think the generation I am apart of, we need to tap into our creativity outlets -- whatever those are. Whether it's a nap, a blog, a walk, we will and cannot function as the workers who simply produce. It -- and by it I mean work -- has to be bigger than simply a paycheck. It has to mean something.

How you know your iPod loves you

have you ever noticed the love an iPod will give you? sure, they can be frustrating at times. when they freeze or suck up battery like a motha. but i tell you if you take the time to notice, your iPod loves you. call me crazy. but at least here the theory.

it happens when you hit "shuffle songs" and usually more times than not, it's like your iPod knows the mood you are in. and so the selection of back-to-back random songs seems like a great, random playlist.

i know there are other factors. the sentiments that come with certain songs. what they remind you of, snapshots of your life or the meaning the song has to you. but i know this isn't a scientific experiment and it's not something that can be quantified and sold to the masses, but i really your iPod can be in tune with you.

and i wasn't even trying to be end on a pun.

Favre's a Baby

Favre just got a baby tap to his head. But because he is Brett Favre, the game is in GBay and every announcer seems to have a man-crush on him it was a call against the Vikes.

Whatever.

I'm not a homer Viking fan. If the T-wolves weren't so damn pathetic the Vikes would be in last place for my local loving. I know this town is a football town first, particularly a Viking town, but let's keep it real, MinnE is a bunch of fairweather-bandwagon fans. And there are a minority of us that are diehards.

Which is why I thank Mankato for this weekend. Just what the Lucia boys needed this weekend. And 9 goals scored this weekend. Hopefully that continues on.

The shutout continues at Lambeau, good Lord. Pathetic. Nice kick ass offense, Coach. Could are defense be on the field any longer this game?

Back to puck. Gophers finally get a sweep, instead of being swept. Next up Anchorage at Alaska. Hopefully they can get on a roll, like last season. Though I doubt the role will be as nice, but Minnesota is always better than the mid-pack of WCHA so here's hoping.

The Wild tonight after a week off. AWOL Walz. Do I return the other half's #37 jersey?

The baby wolves still 0-4. But so are the Heat, Wizards and another team, all of which had loftier expectations than the baby wolves. Plus it's NBA, who cares all that much?

Tubby's team off to a win. Togetherness and defense, I like it. As much as I love hockey and hockey venues in this state, the Barn is the best place to be when it's rocking. I'll stand by that. I love the X and I really love Mariucci, but something about the raised floor and the barn shape.

#89 Ferguson makes the longest play of the day at 35 yards ...

The really highlight of the weekend. Watching My So-Called Life on DVD set. Here's the Wild winning, (Burnsie staying out of the box.)

Purple Jesus is down! Purple Jesus is down!
God damn Pack.

Those Darn Work Personality Tests

I'll admit I am an extrovert. Big, giant, E for this working Mpls woman. And while it's very all fine and good these workplace test that want to put you into categories in boxes, my dolphin is outraged and it's in full effect. Watch out world, particularly South where I am writing this afternoon.

Have you taken the "what time of animal are you in the workplace test?" Well if not, here's your chance. Oddly enough I am either a Dolphin or a Horse. And I feel like both at this very moment. a Horphin, perhaps?

I'm just rambling for the sake of rambling and because I am annoyed. Wishing there was more of an interesting twist on that statement, but it's November pre-Thanksgiving, where it gets cold and work piles up and we are often left in Minnesota thinking, why do you we like it here? But than T-Day happens and we become Thankful for all our Minnesota goodness, stoicism, sarcasm and passive aggressive tendencies. There's a reason why we humbly think we are better than the other 50 states. It's or MinnE spirit.

Queen of Slack

This could be a bit of a rant. But WTH? I feel like the queen of slack lately, who is co-habitating, (not a word I realize, but you get the drift) in a den of slack. And it's not because I am slacking at work. In fact it's the opposite, I feel like I am slacking in the other aspects of my life, particularly this site, as well as the other enjoyable writing projects I have.

Balance. It's always been my issue - the work life/personal life balance. Because, as confident as the sounds, most of the coworkers I've had and currently have, like me. Granted I can be a bit obnoxious, over-the-top and annoying, but I'm usually enjoyed in a group of people because of being able to relate well to others.

And this morning while taking the train to work I was conversing in ASL with man who is deaf. He was telling me about how he was raising money for himself and nine other people so they can go to Little Rock and rebuild a deaf community center. Granted we were conversing in ASL, which I'm still a little rusty at, since I haven't had to use it since college, but that feeling of connecting with someone out of a honest, pure connection to help, I miss that.

Being a PR person and working in marketing, I struggle with the paradox of shaping info for the best possible good. And it's a day-to-day decision and something that can be tiring. But talking with that man today, there weren't any strings attached. He was simply sharing a story, I was listening and trying to help. And that spirit of that conversation, those are the things us individuals have to tap into. It's easy to place a "think globally, live locally" bumpersticker on a car and think you are making a difference.

But it's the little things. Like smiling to a stranger. Listening to someone. I know we have become desensitized to homeless people begging on the street, and murders of kids in North Mpls, but can't we all pick up the slack in our small ways? Instead of simply slacking, placing blame or ignoring situations.

Hold On Today for Hold Steady Tonight

I scream! Whoever said something along the lines of "making a living is not to be confused with making a life," well that statement has been rininging true a lot lately. Sure work has been 60+ hours the last month or so. And soon it's on the "agenda" for me to lead a meeting about our internal communication process. Quite frankly, I am going to bring in a third-party source to contact this. It's the stategist in me. But even though there has been lots of pressure, stress and unreasonable deadlines. And even though I still have five boxes placed in my living room still waiting to be put away. And today is the beginning of NaNoWriMo, something I've wanted to participate in the last two years but haven't had the time. Today will be a great day.

Today will be great even though I will be missing a Wild game that I could watch from the friendly confines of my own sofa. I will also be missing Grey's Anatomy (which BTW at the cliff hanger of last year, there were three climbers brought in and another who was supposedly "dead". What happened to this story line? It has yet to be discussed. Writers of the show, please explain? And don't give us viewers the excuse of the turmoil following Dr. Burke's exit from the show.) Back to the rant, I'll be missing Grey's, which is ok. Plus mid season three and most of season four as been a let down. All of the crap of compiled daily living adds up to being at tonight's HOLD STEADY show, 10 rows back and being there for FREE!

It's days like the last several weeks that make me appreciate the band, not just Finn, more. Label it what you'd like, but I'm a sucker for Hold Steady. And the fact I get to see them tonight on the wake of six-weeks of intense stress, will be nothing short of FANTASTIC! Even if they don't play certain faves of mine, and even if I get the obnoxious 6'5 bald man in front of me who won't put his arms down the entire show, that will not bother me. It's about the music.

And because I am me, and have a pop culture reference for nearly anything, I will be singing to myself the obnoxious Wilson Philips song "hold on for one more day" as the countdown to Hold Steady takes place.

12 hours and counting .......

Great inventions

I know I take the world I live in for granted. I think most of us do. I have been involved in making a new Web site for work. I am not a programmer. I am not a designer. I am a marketer and a PR bitch, that is how I self-identify.

But this morning I found myself thinking about inventions that I take for granted everyday. Sure Edison gets credited for the light bulb. And Al Gore thinks he created the Internet, but what are inventions that people can't live without?

I'm a fan of ATM machines and subways or other underground traffic ....

List your in all varieties.

The Agony of Being a Sporting Fan (reality vs. fantasty)

It's October. Which gets labeled "Roctober" seemingly by everyone in marketing these days, however October is the best month for sports. However I have been finding myself conflicted.

Let's start with baseball. In March 07, I predicted the Indians to be in the World Series. And as they took a 3-1 lead, I didn't want the Indians to win Game 5. Heck I didn't even want them to win Game 6. However as Game 7 I was totally torn. To go with my early prediction pick, or to be a second-tier Red Sox fan. I say second-tier because I always root for MinnE teams FIRST AND FOREMOST then Boston teams. Although with all MinnE players heading to Boston, it's messing with my reasoning. I don't know if I should be mad at Boston or except the fact that they can pay MinnE players big bucks. Sidenote: I'm totally rooting for Jacoby Ellsbury so that the Red Sox choose to not make an offer for Torii. But that's besides the point.

Let's just say Game 7, I found myself swept up in the virtual components of Red Sox nation. Because I believe in momentum and I think Red Sox vs. Rockies will be more entertaining than Indians vs. Rockies.

I digress. And stop the tangent. Here's the point. Between all fantasty sports these days and reality sports, I find my allegiances are a bit confused. Take Game 7 of ALCS. If I threw this bet down in Vegas -- Indians to reach World Series in March -- I sure as heck would be rooting for the Indians to not choke. Money would be invovled. But since it's just bragging rights, and at least I picked a team potentially correctly to get to the World Series, I'm already looking good over most of my male friends. But then, there is the second-tier Boston fan thing that makes me want to root for all thing Boston, when appropriate.

I know this isn't just me. Fantasty football has done that to thousands of folks. And your team can even conflict itself. Say you had Packer D and LT and their previous match up this season, people found themselves rooting for AND against themselves. Packers D should stop everything, except don't strip the ball from LT and let him at least rack up 100 yards.

So in all of this reality sports and fantasty sports, while I argue they make us (the mildly-obsessed fan) engaged more -- they also make us more competative, and occassionally more competative with ourselves or our allegiances.

Growing up, my family thought I was going to try and be a sports writer. Sure enough, I went to journalism school, but the thought of being a sports writer was something I never took seriously. Because it was too much of my passion and I didn't want the "business" aspect of things to ruin my love of sports. And in a little twist of coincidence, I find myself on the marketing/community relations aspect of things working with the business people of the local Twin Cities sports teams to create "partnerships."

And you know what, I wouldn't trade any of it. Because being a sports writer might have been the death of me at 32 from stress and quite frankly I want more out of the life than the next five years. I want a championship to come to MinnE and not be stripped down or a scandal. So I'm wagering the best bet will be .......
The Wild.
(now that is a REALITY not a FANTASTY prediction.)

A Weekend in the Sporting Life

"I woke up/Got out of bed/Dragged a comb across my head/Found a way ...."

Love that song. Great Beatles song. Prolly in my Top Five. The ALCS is about to start. Damn, I can't stand Buck and McCarver. So freakin' annoying. I can't decide who I would want to kill first --- John Madden or McCaver. Hell, at this point it could be Joe Buck. And to think like 8 years ago I thought Joe Buck had the chance to be a cool announcer like his father.

Wow, was I wrong. Complete and utter douche bag.

And it was a rough sporting weekend if you're a MinnE sports fan. First the Bison game. Although, really is anyone paying attention to Gopher Football? Just like no one is paying attention to Gopher Hoops or T-wolves.

Second, Golden Lads on Ice are SWEPT by CC. Swept. That hurts. Granted, I , a homer for Gopher Hockey, realize it's a rebuilding year, but the Gophs are usually good at coughing up a Friday night game and playing hard and winning on Saturday, avoiding the sweep. Oh well. Luckily it's only October and I still have tons of faith in Lucia, and even though I can't stand the comparison of Gopher Hockey to being the Yankees of College Hockey, I'm sound that Maturi will have to have a DARN good reason to get rid of Lucia. And I don't see Lucia walking away from this dream gig, EVER. Unless his daughter Ally, who someone how got a gig on FSN is involved in a sex scandal or an Anne Hutchinson in the locker room.

The Viking. Well, as long as Chilly is around, I have a hard time getting excited for Vikings games. But they were playing Dallas and it was good to see The Barbarian.

Kevin Millar gets to throw the ceremonial pitch for The Red Sox. He just oopsed Ellsbury. Hey Cowboy Up man, it's JacobY not Jacob. But whatever. Did I miss something, wasn't Millar playing for the Orioles this year? And he just threw out the ceremonial first pitch for Red Sox.....right?

The Wild. Thank God for The Wild. Otherwise it could be a more than depressing year for sports fans in MinnE ......although perspective check at least I'm not an Oakland fan or a Royals fan.........

And I'm leading this week in RandBall. I'm sure I just jinxed myself by typing that, but if the Red Sox could be the curse in 04, then I'll take my chances.

Stress and Venting

A whole plethora of work because other people's lack of planning is apparently an "emergency."
Maybe writing over the weekend that isn't snatchy. Cheers to go ALCS game Six.
Speechless and Over-Worked in MPLS

Why Baseball is Best for Playoff Following

*Disclaimer. The article discusses only the top for American sports. As always, Minnesota high school hockey is the best damn tournament, ever.*


Call it what you want. Baseball playoff are, well, spectacular compared to the other playoffs. Don't get me wrong 162 games is a long season. And when you're not in contention it's not a fun October. But there are cities like Kansas City, Tampa Bay that will spend decades of losing season, so not being in the post season for one year isn't so bad.

At the beginning of every major four season friends and I make picks. This has been a tradition for several years. I can proudly say that this year I like most people in the world, did not have the Rockies going to the World Series. But I did have the Indians. Which went against every bone in my being, because after being a MinnE fan I love my Boston sports. It's the Irish in me.

So for the haters here are my football and NHL final picks and who I will pick for NBA.

New England vs. Carolina
San Jose vs. Ottawa
Spurs vs. Boston

Back to baseball. Sure the royally messed it up with the strike. And Bud Selig is a douchebag, but the wildcard and having to have all 25 members on your team step up on different nights if fantastic to watch. I'm a sports lover at heart so as long as the games are interesting I'm sold. But to potentially have Rockies vs. Indians, granted it won't get much hype, but I'm guessing it could be better than any other major four championship.

Growing Pains of Growing Up

I'm 26. I make no claims that I am an adult. In fact, I sort of detest the fact that technically, under legal status, I am an "adult." I prefer my rip-off line of the CSNY song Southern Cross "looking for that woman-girl." Because somewhere between child and old soul is yours truly.

But here is where growing up takes some growing pains. I'm five years post college. I know who my friends are and who I will maintain to be friends with. Yes, we all had those friends that got engaged their senior year or knocked their girlfriends (usually the highly disliked girls at that) up. Forced into marriage, decided it was a good idea or realized the lack of self-esteem and didn't want to be spinsters or old balls with no action the rest of their lives.

Then there are the singletons. These people flaunt it in the face that they have no one to report to, can sleep with whomever whenever, etc. etc. The singletons fall into two categories. Those who are fronting and desperately want a relationship. And those who don't want to be in a committed anything for awhile, if ever.

I'm not in any of these groups. I'm in the dating someone for a third of my life category. So when the BFF informs me that she is engaged over email, it seems a bit odd. It's better to know than to not know, but an email announcement over a major life event ....? Chalk it up to growing pains of growing up I guess.

The Work Hangover

It's Saturday morning and I've been up since my usual pre-6:00 a.m. And before I jump in the shower and go to work for a few meer hours, I want to discuss the work hangover.

I'm allowing myself to get too consumed with work. Freakin' consumption issues. But here's the thing. This new job that I've had since August, I am slowly realizing that I came at the busiest marketing time. So on the plus side, next year I'll be able to plan things out, but as for now .....the work hangover.

When it comes to drinking, I've never been one to have a hangover. At least not frequently. Instead I was the girl who could pace herself properly, except on the few occassions in which I would make myself throw up during the evening in order to not have a hangover. Classy and sexy, I know.

So here is how the work hangover is worse than that. I know my own work ethic and shit just has to get done. Fine. I get in early and try to make the most of the 7 - 6pm today, knowing full well that I have an amazing life outside of work. Obviously I'm not doing the best with time management because two weeks after the move, all of my plastic containers and tupperware are still in boxes stacked in a pile in my living room. But damn work hangover, when I'm home I'm too damn tired to do anything. I can barely keep my eyes open for Wild hockey games. And last night I feel asleep at 8:15. The last time I feel asleep at 8:15 when I wasn't sick -- third grade.

God damn work hangover. So tired when I come home from work and all my joints are achy, I feel like I am living the life of what I will be living 50 years from now. And this work hangover has been acruing for a few weeks. Jesus Christ on a Cross, I'm done with the crazy hours. I just gotta muster up the endurance for one more week.

And save some I.V. fluid bags for the recovery.

These are a few of my fave things this week

Work has been a bitch. As a PR Bitch, I can usually take it. But since last post until now, it's been utter insanity. But that's no excuse.

Also I've always been a fan of autumn. It is far superior over the other seasons. Activities to do, the smells, the food, the sporting events, the colors, the light, everything is better in autumn, particularly in October. Maybe it's because the World Series used to begin in October, because most leaves throughout MinnE are at their peak, Oktoberfest, whatever the reason October has always been a great month in my world and I'm not even a Libra.

Then this week 10/7 - 10/14, has to be one of the best "activity" weeks in the Twin Cities in a good, long while. First of all it begins with the ending of Design Camp up in Nisswa. The day to hang out on Gull Lake with your own cabin, can't be put into words. Followed by an evening with Pat McGee Band - a great bar band, with a great, loyal following that has remained great even after multiple member changes, etc. Tues and Wed, Malcolm Gladwell in town. He is my "intellect sexy man" and just the fact that he was in town discussing MinnE and our increase for incarceration and other social change stuff, I'll go there, it gives me a tingle. Brent Burns is a scoring machine. Loving it and loving the Wild's dominance over Ed-suck-ton. Tonight Stephen Kellogg and the SK6ers at Varsity. Sunday, the Wild take on the Ducks and I hope Boogey-Man does his thing.

The fact that I am attending most of these and working 65 hours during the same time period, is a test to my insomnia. So after the best week in a great long while, I might have to take a mandatory three-day coma just to catch up on rest. Of course this is contradictory to my "you can sleep when you die" mantra, but let's face it, I'm in mid-20s status and not getting any younger and lack of sleep messes with my immune system and my fabulous wrinkle-free, blemish-free skin.

The Eve of NHL Hockey in MinnE

Happens tomorrow. I'm torn. Second episode of Grey's Anatomy and the first Wild hockey game of the year. Good God. I'm a girl who loves hockey. There will be flipping between the two, but still .....why make a girl choose between the early of both seasons -- Wild and Grey's?

Although the other half piped up this morning -- did the Wild make the playoffs last year? And he was serious. Stone cold serious. That I had to swallow pride and say, "really? You can't remember watching the stalemate series against the Ducks? And that your younger brother took his then girlfriend to the playoff game and right smack behind them were Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Really, you don't remember Wild in the playoffs?"

Seriously it was JV version of what was really going through my mind. Lots of [redacted] nouns and verbs and well it was 7:45 a.m. this morning. Poor lad.

But then I began to become quit a tart and asking him who won the world championships of the four-US-considered-major-sports:

Me: World Series?
Other Half: (94 second delay) St. Louis
Me: Superbowl?
Other Half: (Looking for stuff in fridge, 20 seconds later) Colts
Me: Stanley Cup?
Other Half: (Immediately) Sabres.
Me: WTF? Seriously. They didn't even play for the Cup
Other Half: yea, but they were playing well. Are you sure?
Me: We need to stop co-habitating. Flower chamber closed for a lifetime (Not to be confused with the God awful Firehouse "Finally Found a Love of a Lifetime")
Other half: But the Pistons won the NBA
Me: Now you're just messing with me. Ohmigod, you're not. Take the lunch I packed you and have a good day. (I'm left shaking my head)

But secretly, while I was disappointed in the other half, I'm giving him a mulligan. He is not a morning person. And he didn't have coffee. He usually needs a pot to get started in the world. And it did feel good to have sports supremacy over him. Granted he can kick my butt in thumb wrestling, drinking beer and if I ever did play, he would crush me in fantasy football. But remembering facts, figures and all other useless info, I'm still Master of our Household. And it's good to start a Wednesday being Master and Commander of your own domain.

But that doesn't make easier to decide between Grey's Anatomy tomorrow and Wild vs. Blackhawks?

The Sporting Life in MinnE

We has sports fans have been spoiled in Minnesota the last five to seven years. Playoff bound, small ball Twins teams, KG, Wild making a trip to the Finals, back-to-back National Gopher Hockey teams, even the upsets against #2 Penn State and Final Four Women's Hoops teams.

And now it's 2007.

No playoff bound Twins. An inept Vikings offense, rebuilding T-wolves, rebuilding Golden Gopher Hockey, but then there is the Wild. And I'm clinging to the notion, that my Mrs. Robinson crush on Burnzie for the last few years was worth the investment. I'm expecting some ROI on this harboring crush ...... Not really, but I have to have some sporting optimist. And I think it could be the year for the Wild. Something has got to make a MinnE loving sports girl cling onto hope. Now I know what it's like to be a Kansas City sports fan or a Raiders fan. Really, Oakland is prolly a better example. The A's are similar to the Twins in size, payroll and how their GM manages, the Golden State Warriors terrible forever, the Raiders underachieving and run by an owner who doesn't know what he's doing anymore and then they have the Sharks.

This all just occurred to me on a Monday morning. My sports loving life is similar to that of an Oakland fan. That's just f*cking depressing.

Tell me again why I don't like Mondays. Thank You Boomtown Rats. And the "it's so bad it's funny" unintentional tactic in this video, is fantastic. (I wonder if 25 years from now, people will say that about my work? oh geez, the legacy factor ....it's not like I'm Sandra Day O'Connor, but there are moments where you question your legacy, particularly with work or your family.)

I digress. And I'm tangled up in my own tangents .........and relishing in "I don't like Monday's 80s bliss."

Why Music Will Always Be Adored

Music. As most teens you become obsessed with music. What else is there to love, besides sports, movies, underage drinking and music? Exactly.

Then you become college-aged are able to go to nearly every show you want to, become segmented music lovers. You hone your tastes in a certain direction (indies, locals, jam-bands) what have you.

So it is with great delight I bring you the CD memory of today. It never occurred to me that music helps restore your memory. I can hear New Kids on The Block song and instantly I can remember things about 3rd grade that I haven't thought about in 18 years. Or like today, since I've moved, everything is in a box. So in my true WTF fashion, I grab an unmarked, unlabeled CD.

Stereophonics and Minnesota bands. Instantly I think of my former roommate and how obsessed we were with the UK band, because her friends from Wales turned us onto Stereophonics. Followed by Iffy, Faux Jean, 12 Rods, Soul Asylum. It is an overall fantastic CD and I can tell that I made it, gave it to someone, who either didn't take it from me, left it at my house, or I took it back because it was that good of a mixed CD. (I am notorious for doing that, eventually replacing, but yeah, call it an "unfavorable characteristic.") And then because I am a dork, or because I am who I am, I email this friend saying "stereophonics ...do you remember?" of which she will prolly email me back in a few days, because she is uber-busy. But yeah .....

A happy day music day in Speechless land ....