Resolutions, Shmesolutions!

My plans for 2007:

1. Ride more. This year and last I've only hit about 2,000 miles each, which isn't really all that great. The two before that were each at least 1,000 better. Oh well, here's to hoping the next year goes better.
2. Make more art. Everything from hatchy-scratchy drawings like you see here frequently to great big paintings that take up whole walls of the living room.
3. Play more. This includes everything! Guitar! Games! With the boys! You name it! Except for that small group of boardgames that I hate. And cards. I hate card games.
4. Eat healthier--no more pizza, wings, burgers, etc; only fruit, nuts, veggies and good stuff like that.
5. Write in pencil more.
6. End the war in Iraq.

Yeah, this'll work.

I'm Dreaming of a White (Day after) Christmas

It snowed overnight.

And we had a Christmas vacation jam with our new toys.

Christmas!

SSI,A!





I'm just glad the Krampus didn't come and beat me to a pulp.

Plus, in addition to all sorts of great gifties (woohoo! Apple Store gift card from Mom and Dad, hello black MacBook!; thanks for the Greil Marcus book, little brother!--but I had no idea he was so ugly!) I got an Epiphone Dot Studio, so now I have finally filled in the last big hole in my guitar collection--a semi-hollowbody dual humbucker model. It's sleek, all black and plays great even with the crap strings that came on it. I think I may convert from Fender to Gibson from now on. My little family tried to tell me they got me a wallet. I didn't quite believe them, but had no proof one way or another. I can't believe the boys kept a secret!

Then we ate lots of bacon and over-easy eggs.

Well, Sam didn't, of course.

A pretty good day, really.

Christmas Eve

We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps!

Christmas Eve Eve

Gabe's jacket got washed today.

Here's what the little packrat had stuffed inside.

Actually, this is only some of it. The dozens of baby pinecones were gone by the time this was taken.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

I should still be measuring it seems!

I forgot two of my other favorite records this year:

Jim Noir
Tower of Love
Lovely Beach Boys harmonies, nonsense lyrics, a little spacey at times. Like Jim, I too want to be in the key of C (or any key, as long as I stay there when I "sing"!).

The Dresden Dolls
Yes, Virginia
Some of the songs are old, and the new ones are great! It's a cheesy, maybe even naive, anthem, but I love Sing. It's even better that a dear friend sent it to me with the insert signed by Brian and Amanda.

Measuring Up

Here’s my music picks for the year. Every third page on the web has one right now, so I might as well too. After the first and second ones, they’re not in any order. Also, don’t write any nasty comments, I know some of them aren’t from this year, but it is what I’ve been listening to.

The Decemberists
The Crane Wife
It's been a lot of fun watching some of these tunes grow from solo Colin Meloy performances to full-band arrangements. Has a major label debut ever stayed so true to a band’s soul? It’s the natural evolution of everything that began with 5 Songs and Castaways. And it only helps that a bunch of it sounds like Black Sabbath meets Fairport Convention. Definitely #1 for the year!

Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus Three
Ole Tarantula
Finally, Robyn strapped on that Telecaster and started to rock again—like it’s 1986! This may be one of the all-time great Egyptians albums. Element of Tarantula Globe, I say! And it’s a green album that isn’t strummy (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).

The Hold Steady
Boys and Girls in America
I like it a lot, but not as much as Separation Sunday. Cheezy classic rock riffs never sounded so good!

The Long Winters
Putting the Days to Bed
Very nice. Just good pop. Although if John Roderick never finds true love I’m gonna be real real sad.

Neko Case
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Smoky-voiced twang chanteuse of my dreams. What else is there to say?

Laura Veirs
Year of Meteors
Deliciously lispy folk chanteuse of my dreams.

Belle and Sebastian
The Life Pursuit
More 70’s rock pastiches, well done. Nice, but not as nice as DCW. Still, Stuart has some great lines in this one.

Grant Lee Buffalo Gilmore Girl Philips
Nineteeneighties
VERY NICE COVERS OF 80s HITS, invisible ones and otherwise. This guy is just charming.

Daniel Johnston
Welcome to My World
I was touched when I saw the movie about him, and am fascinated by his weirdo world.

Britfolk
Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band, Steeleye Span, etc.
It’s all so so good.

Dylan
All the albums from before the motorcycle crash, plus Blood on the Tracks.
Modern Times has some nice moments, but it’s not really much more than old blues standards with a rockabilly veneer.

The Kids I Know
Johnny K, Maggie Morris, Josh Belville, Steve Goldberg, Tim Koch, Jon C, Jon S, et al.
The future of music looks good!

Oh!
David Bowie
Hunky Dory
Can this album ever be topped? I enjoyed it again many times this year.


Also, Lily Allen was fun for a few minutes.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The boys are all about the hot chocolate right now (and making bargains to open certain presents early!).
Sam prefers it with "moshlellows."
Can't say I blame the little fella.
In fact, it's really only the moshlellows that he wants. After he spoons them out he just leaves the hot chocolate to die a lonely, tepid death.

Sad, really.

But what can you do?

Goodbye Cruel World

This morning Gabe walked into my Lair, handed me a plastic grenade (that he found on one of his creek-exploring sessions), ran out of the room, and yelled, "KA-BOOM!"
I felt a little less than unconditionally loved.

Sam recently changed everyone's status in the family. Gabe went from Brother to Cousin. Lauran went from Momma to Maid. I went from Poppa to Guy Who Lives here.

You know, little men, that there's a list and it's got everyone who's nice and everyone else who's naughty.

Just keep that in mind.

Is all I'm sayin'.

Just Sing!

Sing for the teachers who told you that you couldn't sing!

Kiss Me!

I just brushed, it's okay.

#1 Best Christmas Duet EVER

It was christmas eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, wont see another one
And then he sang a song
The rare old mountain dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
Ive got a feeling
This years for me and you
So happy christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

Theyve got cars big as bars
Theyve got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
Its no place for the old
When you first took my hand
On a cold christmas eve
You promised me
Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of new york city
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging,
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the nypd choir
Were singing galway bay
And the bells were ringing out
For christmas day

Youre a bum
Youre a punk
Youre an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy christmas your arse
I pray God its our last

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Cant make it all alone
Ive built my dreams around you

#2 Best Christmas Duet EVER

DB: Hello... you're the new butler?
BC: Hahaha! Well, it's been a long time since I've been the new anything!
DB: What's happened to Hudson?
BC: I guess he's changing.
DB: Yeah, he does that a lot, doesn't he? Uhm... Oh, I'm David Bowie, I live
down the road.
BC: Oh!
DB: Sir Percival lets me use his piano if he not around. He's not around, is
he?
BC: I can honestly say I haven't seen him, but come on in! Come in!
DB: But uh...
BC: Come on in!
DB: Are you related to sir Percival?
BC: Well, distantly...
DB: Oh, you're not the poor relation from America, right?
BC: Ha! Gee... news sure travels fast, doesn't it? I'm Bing.
DB: Oh, I'm pleased to meet you. You're the one that sings, right?
BC: Well, right or wrong, I sing either way.
DB: Oh well, I sing too.
BC: Oh good! What kind of singing?
DB: Mostly the contemporary stuff. Do you eh... do you like modern music?
BC: Oh, I think it's marvellous! Some of it's really fine. But tell me, have you ever listened to any of the older fellows?
DB: Oh yeah, sure. I like ah... John Lennon and the other one with eh...Harry Nilsson.
BC: Mmm... you go back that far, uh?
DB: Yeah, I'm not as young as I look.
BC: Haha, none of us is these days!
DB: In fact I've got a six year old son. And he really gets excited around the Christmas holiday-thing.
BC: Do you go in for anything of the traditional things in the... Bowie household, Christmas time?
DB: Oh yeah, most of them really. Presents, tree, decorations, agents sliding down the chimney...
BC: What??
DB: Oh, I was just seeing if you were paying attention.
BC: Haha!
DB: Actually, our family do most of the things that other families do. We
sing the same songs.
BC: Do you?
DB: Oh, I even have a go at 'White Christmas'.
BC: You do, eh!
DB: And this one. This is my son's favourite. Do you know this one?
BC: Oh, I do indeed, it's a lovely theme.

http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Singles/POELDB1982/POELDB.html

My Cup Runneth Over

Updates on the family front: Gabe got cut from his Christmas Pageant and is upset. Sam is...well, Sam. Our odd child. He just is. I love him dearly, but he says the craziest stuff sometimes and then gives you a weird look. He may well be smarter than us all. I know I sound like one of the parent blog guys, raving about how my kids every little thing is the most wonderful thing ever...but it's not that. Sam is just odd.

What, 12 days to the domestic mail shipping deadline? Better get cracking!

Lather Me Up, and Tell Me Thatcha Love Me!

For several days now I have been using shampoo to wash myself, thinking it was some sort of bodywash. I kept forgetting to replace the soap. It's OK, I suppose, since I am a somewhat hairy fellow. I noticed my mistake today after I got out a new bar of soap and actually read the bottle of the blue stuff. Oh well, live and learn. And lather.