Mike Talks to Himself

Dream hike

2011-02-06T19:51:00.010-05:00

Yosemite means quite a lot to me. It always will. I spent two summers there, '98 and '99.

The hiking is the best in the world. Blue skies, granite, meadows, pines, peaks and lakes... John Muir called it the "Range of Light."

First, some of my favorite Yosemite scenes. Here are the famous Half Dome cables - grab on for a white-knuckle climb up to the summit!

First time on top of Half Dome. Absolutely mind-boggling to be up there.

Yosemite must be the most beautiful place in the world.

And most importantly, I met a certain someone there!

Here's the hike that closed out my '98 summer. It was the perfect grand finale... Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley, via Vogelsang and Merced Lake. If I remember right, my roommates were planning it and I really wanted to go. But it was late in the summer and I had to work a 6-day week... which meant I had just one day off and had to be at work at 2:00 the next day. That gave me 8 daylight hours for 20 miles of high country hiking. Eventually I decided to go along, because, well, you only live once.

This would probably be #1 on my dream hike list... to retrace my steps and see it again. I'll never forget it, that's for sure!

Trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows.

Crossing the Tuolumne River, just born out of the mountains. I still can't get over how much snowmelt we had that year. I think my pack was broken, so I had to hold it like this.

Dave and Jason on the Vogelsang trail.

Looking down into Tuolumne - not the best photo. Wish you could have seen the panorama.

Vogelsang Peak from the meadows on the trail.

Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.

Fletcher Lake, up above Vogelsang.

Townsley Lake, one more lake up. Absolutely unbelievable scenery. That's Jason out on the snow.

Our campsite at the east end of Townsley Lake. Best campsite ever.

A cirque above our campsite. Don't you just want to scramble up and see what's over that ridge?

We did keep going up and up, off-trail, completely in awe of this place.

Looking toward Tuolumne, high on the ridge, at sunset.

Sunset over Vogelsang. Breathtaking!

I set my alarm for sunrise and took off for the Valley. I was a little nervous about going such a long distance by myself, in the middle of the wilderness, but I had gotten my confidence up over the course of the summer. I took this photo because you can barely see the top of Half Dome in the distance.

Vogelsang Peak, early morning.

Finally I made it to Vogelsang Pass. This picture doesn't nearly do it justice. I wish I'd had a digital camera back then and could have spent some time trying. There was something completely surreal about being in the heights of these remote mountains, no sound whatsoever, early morning, just me.

Headwaters of Lewis Creek, which eventually becomes the Merced River. Like I said, it was a VERY wet year, and there were a couple places where I had to plunge into the frigid water up to my waist to get across. Luckily I made it and didn't get my pack wet!

This was such a cool, mysterious trail. I was running out of film and didn't take any more pics of this part, so I only have faint memories of it. I just remember being sure that I'd run into a bear at some point. (I did later, on the more populated trail.) And I remember the complicated trail work and staircases, way up there in the middle of nowhere... and water cascading everywhere around me.

This was my first view of Merced Lake, and a BIG sigh of relief. This meant civilization and more people on the trails, which is always good psychologically. I was so happy to see it. Took forever to get down there, from what I remember.

The film ran out there, so I don't have any pics from the Lost Valley and the Mist Trail. Maybe someday we'll go back and I can fill that part in.

In case you're wondering, I stepped onto the pavement of the Valley floor at exactly 2:00. I still had to take a shower (obviously), so I got there for my shift at 3:00. Only an hour late. I'd say it was worth it.

New music

2011-01-23T20:22:00.002-05:00

Well, maybe I should show some signs of life on this blog. I got a Borders gift card for Christmas (woohoo!), so I took the opportunity to get some new stuff. Here's what I'm listening to these days...

I've been wanting to dig a little deeper into Lyle's music. He's just got such a great, understated, evocative voice. The only other stuff I knew of his was a double CD of covers - other songwriters who inspired him. And it's a great collection for sure. But I've always wondered what HIS music was really like.

From what I can tell, this Anthology was meant to compile his early country stuff (as opposed to his later folk/jazz). It's a little twangier than what I usually like... steel guitars and all that... but not enough to get in the way of the songs themselves, which are totally solid. And they take quite a few listens to really soak in - but I expected that.

Of course, my fave has to be "If I Had a Boat":
"If I had a boat, I'd go out on the ocean. And if I had a pony, I'd ride him on my boat..."

They played it at the end of an episode of Parenthood, and it totally drew me in and started this whole Lovett kick in the first place.

Now, this one is sort of out of character for me, because 1) it's actually new, and 2) they're under the age of 60. Kidding. Sort of. I knew their radio hit, of course, and thought it was cool enough. But then I heard them on the Today show... where normally, 98% of musicians sound atrocious because of the acoustics... and man, they were GREAT!

In the past I would have second-guessed myself trying to get into a band like this, because the people that liked them before they were mainstream think you're just jumping on the bandwagon... which is true. I know I'm late to the party and all that. But I don't care. I just like what I hear. They have a really cool sound that's addictive, once the hooks draw you in.

Favorite: "Radioactive"

I'm pretty close to finishing up the Dylan catalog, which is crazy. I've only got a few live albums left, so it was time to try this one. Totally '80s, mostly a greatest-hits set list... not all that exciting, in some ways. But I had heard this version of "Tangled Up in Blue" was completely rewritten and revitalized... and it's true! Besides the lyric and melody changes, Bob did something pretty amazing with the song, changing it from first person to third person. It was already about shifting personas to begin with. From Wikipedia:

"Tangled Up in Blue" is one of the clearest examples of Dylan's attempts to write "multi-dimensional" songs which defied a fixed notion of time and space. Dylan was influenced by his recent study of painting and the Cubist school of artists, who sought to incorporate multiple perspectives within a single plane of view.

This makes the last line of the song especially powerful: "We always did love the very same one, we just saw her from a different point of view... tangled up in blue."

Oh, and the lead guitarist (Mick Taylor) is excellent... he manages to elevate most of the songs without turning them into '80s excess. Not an easy task considering it was, you know, 1984.

My new favorite song

2011-01-04T22:28:00.001-05:00

Wow, did I really not post at all in December? Oops.

May I present my new favorite song...

R.E.M. 3-Spot

2010-11-26T09:19:00.005-05:00

I found some vintage R.E.M. clips the other day. WOW, did I love this band back in high school.

First, "Shiny Happy People." I think I was afraid to watch this video because it was so unabashedly nerdy. Looking at it now, though, it's kind of intentionally nerdy. Tongue in cheek. Everything from Bill Berry's unibrow to the B-52's girl's swim moves. Gotta love it. I must have listened to this song 30,000 times, back when Out of Time was one of my three cassette tapes.
Click here to watch

Then we have a vintage clip of "Radio Free Europe" from Letterman.

And then there's an R.E.M./U2 collaboration, "One." I love Bono's voice, but I've gotta say, Stipe sings the heck out of this. Shows what an evocative singer he can be with such direct lyrics... something you don't hear a lot of in R.E.M.'s stuff (with the notable exception of "Everybody Hurts").

The strange case of Empire Burlesque

2010-11-19T14:34:00.006-05:00

The thing about Dylan - even when he's bad, he's interesting. You could say that about most of his '80s records, although to tell you the truth, I've been pleasantly surprised as I've gradually picked them up. Maybe it's low expectations. But I think a lot of the songs themselves are really great - it was just a perfect storm of Bob (or his producers) trying too hard to be trendy and current... and the fact that his voice couldn't really carry him the way they once did. I know that sounds strange, because his voice has always been an acquired taste. But even for those who do like his phrasing and his singing mannerisms, the '80s Bob voice was pretty hard to love. Later he would change his singing strategy completely, with great results (late '90s-early '00s).

But back to Empire Burlesque. For some reason, it seems that Bob felt the need to keep up with the times. So you have some pretty fantastic songs dressed up in the absolute worst '80s trappings - synthesizers, bad backing vocals, the works. (Side note: I challenge you to find a more grotesque album cover.)

But the songs themselves? Some of them are excellent. I'm serious. They're just hidden by awful production and Bob's '80s whine. That's the think about his '80s work. You have to listen for what the songs could have been, not what they are. "I'll Remember You" is just a killer love song, if you ignore the drum machine. "Something's Burning, Baby" has some genuine dark mystery.

And then there's "Emotionally Yours." I would be mortified if anyone heard me blaring this song in the car, but that doesn't mean I don't blare it. First of all, just try writing a song like this - so direct and earnest. Darn near impossible. The melody is really lovely - one of Bob's best. Some great lines, too - "to see behind closed doors." Just try to ignore the synth garbage and the Casio drumbeat. And don't let anyone hear you enjoy it.

This song has been in my head all night.

2010-11-01T22:01:00.001-04:00

How do you write something like this, anyway? Sounds so effortless.

It all started here

2010-10-16T14:07:00.003-04:00

Bob's first album. I just got this the other day with a freebie gift card. I had already heard it years ago, when I checked it out from the library. It's pretty interesting to revisit it now.

Bob's voice has always been... polarizing. Same with his ramshackle sense of timing. But this album is NOT the one to play for a non-Dylan-fan. Everything is overexaggerated. I would imagine that's because Bob was trying so hard to get the world's attention with this one... much like it must have been on stage at those Greenwich Village coffee houses at the time. Make an impression. Stand out from the crowd. And so you have his yelping and growling, his harmonica histrionics, his boundless energy that's front and center on this album, more than any other.

Not only that, he seems preoccupied with trying to sound like an 80-year-old bluesman. Half of the songs are directly about death. It's well-known that he was spinning tales at the time about basically growing up a hobo, and he's trying really hard here to play up that tough, world-weary persona.

By the time he got to his next album (his breakthrough, Freewheelin'), he had toned all of that down considerably... and he was concentrating more on the songs themselves (which, by then, were mostly originals). But it's interesting that he started not by showing what he could do as an artist, but by trying to stake his claim as a performer - an actor who could pull off the gravity and authenticity of these old, morbid blues songs.

"The songs are my lexicon. I believe the songs," he said (in a '90s interview). It's like he had to get that out of his system first - establish his identity from the songs before he could establish his own.

Always loved this

2010-10-11T21:25:00.001-04:00

I used to hear songs like this, with crazy, complex time signatures, and think, "This must be what adults listen to."

My job

2010-10-05T23:24:00.000-04:00

This is what I do!

Unbelievable voice

2010-09-30T09:27:00.003-04:00

There's something about Joni's voice... complete devotion to every word, such depth of emotion. It gives even her "happy" songs like this one such a sense of regret and longing. And can you believe her pitch??? Wow.

Peter Gabriel - Digging in the Dirt

2010-09-24T15:16:00.003-04:00

What a great, mysterious, song. Disturbing and calming at the same time. I was rediscovering it yesterday, and at some point, it occurred to me, "Hey, that sounds like Lanois." Then I remembered that Lanois did produce it. I'm really starting to appreciate Daniel Lanois more and more... he produced albums by U2, Dylan, Emmylou Harris and others. He has this multi-layered sonic palette that I just dig. A lot. It's just now occurring to me that he's the common thread in a lot of great albums that I always loved, but never knew why.

The best way to Destin

2010-09-19T21:31:00.004-04:00

Destin Commons - a NICE place

We had an amazing vacation. Julie will be posting about it soon. Until then, I thought I'd say a few words about one of my hobbies - trying to find the best way from Atlanta to Destin. There's no direct way to get there, and we've tried quite a few highway combinations over the years. Maybe the elusive perfect route is still out there, waiting to be discovered.

Conventional wisdom says to take Option 1:
I-85 to Columbus, 431 south to Dothan, 231 south to I-10, I-10 west to 331 to Destin
The pros? It's probably the lowest-mileage option. It's almost all 4-lane, and they've almost finished the 4-lane part between Phenix City and Eufaula.
The cons? You have to crawl through the sprawl of Phenix City, Eufaula, and Dothan. Seriously, it's like a light every 10 feet in those towns. On that note, what is up with Dothan's city planning? I'm sure it's a nice enough place, but the roads are a whirlpool of concentric circles, badly timed lights and crazy congestion. This is the sign that greets you as you enter the city. Madness!

Photo: JP Nasiatka

And then there's Option 2:
I-85 to Montgomery, I-65 to the Montgomery loop road, 331 south all the way to Destin
Pros? I-85 moves fast and is in great shape now that they've finished the construction south of Atlanta (Yee-HA!). Plus, there are two "yuppie exits" on I-85 - meaning they have clusters of our fave places to eat (Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Panera). Those exits are Tigertown near Auburn, and Eastchase near Montgomery.
Cons? It's a big pain to get to the start of 331 in Montgomery. You have to take the horrible loop road to get there. I actually prefer to overshoot and take I-65, then duck in from the east to drive as little of it as possible. Also, 331 gets bogged down in the small towns.

Option 3 is probably the best one:
I-85 to Montgomery, I-65 to Georgiana, then various highways taking you through Andalusia, Baker and Crestview, then the Mid-Bay Bridge to Destin
Pros? Super-fast and easy interstate driving for most of the way. Plus the two yuppie exits (see above). Also, there's a secret shortcut to bypass downtown Crestview (Antioch Rd.).
Cons? Lots of miles.

Option 4 is what we did on the way home:
Option 1, except take south AL backroad shortcuts
Pros? You can save time on Option 1 and still take the most direct route. You can avoid Dothan this way as well. And don't forget the adventure of finding the perfect route.
Cons? It's usually more trouble than it's worth because of all the crazy turns you have to plan out in advance. Also, you're almost guaranteed to get lost in the small towns because of poor signage. Or at least you have to slow down to 25 mph for each one of them.

One quick word about the small towns. There are a LOT of them in southern AL. You can tell the town squares were really cozy and nice in their heyday.

Photo of Florala, AL by tewbyfourgn5

I do wonder what's going to happen to the downtowns as time goes on. Now most of the storefronts are vacant... maybe an antique store or a creepy shrine lodge, but that's about it. The bigger towns have the sprawling '80s developments, and some of them have a brand-new Walmart on the outskirts. But those downtowns are really forgotten. I certainly have no room to talk, since I spend my time trying to find the route that bypasses everything. Because, well, it's a full day's drive and I'm trying to go as fast as possible. But I get nostalgic about these things too. Just like in the movie Cars. You know, the James Taylor scene.

Let me know if you have any suggestions... is Option 3 the best one?

Rocky Top, Tennessee

2010-08-28T23:24:00.028-04:00

Julie's birthday present to me this year was pretty epic. She watched the girls while I went backpacking in the Smokies with my good friend (and Yosemite roommate) Gordon. A little adventure is good for the soul! Plus, I think it's good every now and then to have an actual mountaintop experience.

We took the Anthony Creek Trail up to campsite #9 for the first night. Then on the second day, we took the Bote Mountain Trail to the AT and our destination - Rocky Top! Yes, THE Rocky Top.

Entering the Smokies at Townsend, TN.

Self-portrait attempt at the trailhead. I got started about 6:00 in the evening. Gordon was finishing up some stuff, so I told him I'd go ahead and set up camp while it was still light.

The Anthony Creek Trail. Very wide and suitable for horses.

Anthony Creek... we'll be drinking YOU later.

First bridge crossing.

Another self-portrait - sweaty already?

There were a couple of cool, rustic bridges along the way.

Lookin' down.

Intersection with the Russell Field Trail. I kept going on the Anthony Creek.

Getting dark and steamy... heart rate up... definitely out of shape.

I finally made it to campsite #9, where some nice dudes were camped out for the night. Got there about 7:30. I set up the tent first thing, which turned out to be monumentally important. Because as soon as I lit the stove to make dinner, the skies opened up. It poured on me for a solid hour, from 8:00 to 9:00. Thankfully I did have rain gear or I really could have been in trouble. As it was, I basically just stood there in the rain, eating dinner, watching it get darker and darker, wondering where Gordon might be. I got pretty wet - to the point that I realized I'd better get in my sleeping bag before my body temperature started to drop. It was crazy to actually be in extreme conditions, using my backpacking training from years ago. I'm just so glad I had time to get the tent set up, because it did keep the most important things nice and dry.

My blood sugar was doing strange things, too. The psychology of being in a stressful situation can make you go low, which meant that I was low after eating dinner, without even taking any insulin. Yikes. I gulped down a ton of Skittles and hung up my pack on the bear cables... with my emergency Glucagon kit still at my side, just in case. At this point I resigned myself to the fact that Gordon probably got stuck at the trailhead in the rain and either went home or slept in his car. I briefly considered packing up and trying to hike back to the car... being wet, cold, and by myself in the woods... but of course I realized that would be the stupidest idea imaginable. I went to sleep and figured I'd hike out in the morning.

Imagine my surprise when I heard voices and saw Gordon's headlamp coming toward the tent... somewhere around 11:30. He had started up the trail after the rain had passed, but he couldn't be sure it was the right trail. He spent probably half an hour staring at a trailside map trying to find campsite #9. Of course, that color ink on the map had long since disappeared, so he had to just trust it was up ahead. I was very glad to see him.

The next morning - things looking MUCH better. Here's a good view of my REI tent and its two vestibules, which kept my stuff nice and dry during all the craziness. Thanks, REI!

The bear cables. Whoever designed these is an absolute genius!

Home sweet home at campsite #9.

Gordon. He's alive!

Special shout-out to my Coleman stove. This thing boils water in about a minute!

I'm also very fond of this little clamp. You grab the pot with it and then pour. Brilliant!

Starbucks in the wilderness. Mmm...

And blueberry granola.

Anthony Creek next to the campsite - where I filtered some water.

Mountain water - delicious!

Ready for Rocky Top.

Junction of the Anthony Creek and Bote Mountain trails.

Along the Bote Mountain Trail.

A rocky ridge walk up to the AT.

Here we are up at the AT (Appalachian Trail). The AT runs along the Tennessee/North Carolina state line, right through the center of the park. Notice the white blaze.

Gordon finishing the Bote Mountain Trail.

We took a side trip to the Spence Field shelter for lunch and a rest.

We stashed our packs here for the run up to Rocky Top.

Spence Field - grazing land, once upon a time.

First view of Rocky Top, from the AT. From left: Thunderhead, Rocky Top, and "Fake Rocky Top."

Close-up of Thunderhead and Rocky Top.

Awesome ridge hiking!

A view back down to Cades Cove, where we started.

Rocky Top summit!

We made it!

AT white blaze on Rocky Top.

Yes, it is rocky.

Gordon and Cades Cove.

Cades Cove close-up - tough to capture these scenes with a camera.

Looking north.

You can see Mt. LeConte and Clingman's Dome in the distance - I wish the camera could capture all the ridges that you see in person!

Back down to the shelter to grab our packs.

A photo of campsite #9 on the way down.... just because I couldn't find a photo of it anywhere on the Internet. World premiere!

Gordon and the sign that he stared at for half an hour the night before.

What a great hike! Epic in every way. I'm so grateful to Julie for making it happen!

The Man I Want to Be

2010-08-02T22:34:00.008-04:00

Sean Seay gave a really great message on Sunday called "The Man I Want to Be." At one point he asked us to describe to each other, when we were kids, what we had wanted to be when we grew up. Well, I actually gave this a lot of thought when I was a kid.

I had it all figured out. I was going to preside over T's, the greatest restaurant/theme park the world has ever known. Here are some pictures I drew as a kid... I apologize that it's hard to see since I had to break it up into multiple scans. But you can click on the photos and zoom if you want to get a better look.

That's me in the middle. I actually looked a lot like this in college.

More of the extensive menu. (Please ignore the bizarre intentional misspellings.)

The dining area...

Waterslides outside...

Special nerd points if you can identify the two guys sliding here (other than "Dan").

Exterior view. Stained glass windows... and my two cats on the left.

That's me on the slide. Note the young lovers sharing a bowl of cookie dough.

And another drawing of how I thought adult life would be...

I ran across this in the memory box, too. Such a younger brother.

Probably not intentional, but...

2010-07-31T13:51:00.001-04:00

still really cool.

There's a line toward the end of this song: "The next 60 seconds could feel like an eternity." From that moment, it's exactly 60 seconds until the end of the song. That's just cool.

Mmmm...

2010-07-31T13:48:00.001-04:00

Now THIS is a birthday lunch. El Pollo Loco is the best!

Beautiful

2010-07-23T13:31:00.000-04:00

I love it when this comes on the iPod.

Northern CA is looking good

2010-07-11T22:41:00.002-04:00

Click here to check out Ben Rowlands' CrazyGuy journal... one of my favorites... photos taken in June.

Dishes & swine

2010-07-10T09:47:00.005-04:00

I love this album. A lot. It's been out since 2001, but I'm still catching little references to this day. Like this one:

"Curly Locks" - nursery rhyme
Curly locks, curly locks
Won't you be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes
Nor yet feed the swine

"Po' Boy" - Bob Dylan
Knockin’ on the door, I say, “Who is it and where are you from?”
Man says, “Freddy!” I say, “Freddy who?” He says, “Freddy or not here I come”
Poor boy ’neath the stars that shine
Washin’ them dishes, feedin’ them swine

While I'm on the subject, how can you not love a song with a stanza like this?

My mother was a daughter of a wealthy farmer
My father was a traveling salesman, I never met him
When my mother died, my uncle took me in—he ran a funeral parlor
He did a lot of nice things for me and I won’t forget him

Love & Theft is full of obscure references borrowed from the blues... a biography by a Yakuza... and apparently nursery rhymes. Lots of treasures waiting to be discovered, even nine years later!

Shi Shi Beach

2010-07-07T14:16:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd continue the Northwest theme by talking about one of my all-time favorite places, Shi Shi Beach. I've only been there once, but it sure was a memorable trip. It's a gorgeous beach up on the very northwest tip of Washington... very close to Cape Flattery, the northwest tip of the continental U.S.

It's also close to Forks, which of course is the setting of the Twilight saga. I'm reading the books right now, and I think they're great. Don't judge. :) One of the things I love about the Twilight movies is how they capture the mysterious, dramatic, lonely landscape of that area. It's the perfect setting, really.

I went with some college friends to Shi Shi just before my senior year. They had been telling me about this amazing wilderness beach, and it always sounded so epic and cool. Finally we got it together and drove there just before classes started. I vividly remember packing five adults and all our packs into my Tercel. How did we do that?

The beach is part of Olympic National Park, but the trailhead isn't. When we went (1999), you had to park in someone's yard and pay them. Kinda sketchy. And the trail was a huge mud pit. But I hear those issues have improved a lot... new trailhead, boardwalk trail, etc. Once you get to the beach, it takes your breath away because of the sheer scope of it all. Feels like the edge of the world. And Point of the Arches has millions of sea stacks stretching into the distance (a very Washingtonian beach scene). And you set up your tent under the cover of the windswept trees.

I'd love to go back someday. Part of me would love to hike the Olympic NP beaches all the way from La Push up to Shi Shi. Apparently you have to climb rope ladders to get over the huge headlands and avoid the places where the waves are crashing against the cliffs. My dad and I hiked the Lost Coast (in northern CA) one year and it was absolutely spectacular. There's nothing quite like Western beach hiking.

Here's a video I found on YouTube of someone's recent trip to Shi Shi... a nice summary of what it looks and feels like.

Seattle

2010-06-27T22:25:00.002-04:00

I was thinking about Seattle today... funny how much I identify with it. It's not like I spent all that much time there. But I guess it's the only big city that I ever explored on my own.

There were a couple of years at the beginning of college, before I had a car, where I used to take the bus up to Seattle a few weekends each semester. I had friends going to school at Seattle University, up at the top of the hill. (Side note: I love Western cities that are bound by geography... they're so compact and walkable.) I would catch the bus at the downtown depot in Tacoma, which never failed to be terrifying to a small-town California boy. Always an interesting mix of folks on that bus.

And then the bus would leave me in the midst of the downtown skyscrapers... steep hills... tree-lined streets... and constant drizzle. I felt like an adult, walking around in the midst of all that busy-ness and activity. I would walk uphill all the way from the waterfront up to Seattle U... either on Pike or Pine Street. I remember being (pleasantly) shocked that the streets around Seattle U were full of people at midnight or 1 a.m., whenever we were out, walking home from a concert or whatever.

At the end of the weekend, I'd start the long walk downhill, back to the bus stop by the waterfront. I'd stop in at a bagel place and get some breakfast, soak in the soft, pensive, rainy day, and just enjoy being on foot and completely free in one of the world's most exciting and modern cities. Then it was back to Tacoma, which is another story for another day.

P.S. I really grew to love the rain over the course of my four years there. I remember one day, senior year, complaining about it, and a friend said, "Yeah, it's wet and dreary, but it's home." She was right. Ever since then, I really crave those steady, soaking rains that come about once a year in Atlanta. But I'm also glad I live in a generally sunny place.

I found out on Wikipedia that Seattle averages 58 sunny days a year. And that's pretty much exclusively in the summer. If you visit in the summer, you'll think it's paradise on earth. And you'll be right!

Diabetes update

2010-06-19T09:34:00.004-04:00

I had a good endocrinologist appointment on Thursday. I like my new doctor a lot - this was my first time seeing him instead of his assistant (who's also great). For the past six years I've been in what they call the "honeymoon period," where my body has still been producing at least some insulin... so while I've had to inject insulin this whole time, my body has also been helping me out a bit. Now things are much more volatile since it's basically all coming from the medicine.

My A1C this time is 6.1, which is good - anything under 7 is considered well-controlled (effectively non-diabetic). A1C measures your average blood sugar over a 3-month period, so it gives you an accurate picture of how you're doing. I really want it to be under 6, but I'll take it. I used to be in the low 5's, and once I think I was even in the 4's... but that was in the honeymoon period.

I've been gradually raising my Lantus dose (long-term insulin) to keep up with my numbers, which have kept creeping up when I start the cycle in the morning. But I've kept my Novolog (mealtime insulin) basically the same. I never knew this, but the doc told me the amount of Lantus and Novolog in a day really should be about the same. So now I'm working to balance that out - less Lantus, more Novolog. It would be really nice to take less Lantus, because I wouldn't have so many lows or almost-lows during the day - I pretty much have to snack constantly or face the consequences. And that's not the best long-term plan for your health anyway (diabetes aside).

The only part that could be tricky is that I'm probably going to wake up with higher numbers since I'm decreasing the Lantus dose (morning blood sugar is supposed to be between 80-120). Traditionally, that morning number has determined how much Lantus I take, and that's worked well. But now I need to just hope that I'm not too high while I sleep. (Most Type 1's take their Lantus at night, which means they have a greater risk of lows during the night. I like taking mine in the morning, but we'll see how it goes with this next stage - I may need to change it eventually.)

The doc told me about a product that continuously monitors your blood sugar over a 7-day period. It gives you readings every 5 minutes. That could be really helpful, especially monitoring it while I sleep. Supposedly it's covered by insurance, although it sounds pretty inconvenient to have to get a new one every 7 days. Plus, it's something you stick to your abdomen, which I've managed to avoid so far. I'm not opposed to it, but there would be annoying things about it (do you leave it on when you shower or go swimming? etc.) I might just see how this new strategy goes for a while and then determine if I want to try that device.

One realization I've had is that this is just a challenging time to monitor my diabetes, period. I'm thankful that my numbers are still good, but it's not like it used to be (pre-kids) where I could really focus on it. And that's OK. I've been doing things the same way for so long that I don't really have to think about it. But now that I'm making some (minor) changes, I'll have to figure that out. I'm so glad it's manageable, but at the end of the day, it's just a very inconvenient disease. Let's find a cure - I'd love that!

Some interesting notes from Wikipedia:

"Type 1 diabetes risk is known to depend upon a genetic predisposition based on HLA types (particularly types DR3 and DR4), an unknown environmental trigger (suspected to be an infection, although none has proven definitive in all cases), and an uncontrolled autoimmune response that attacks the insulin producing beta cells."

"The type of diabetes a patient has is determined only by the cause—fundamentally by whether the patient is insulin resistant (type 2) or insulin deficient without insulin resistance (type 1)."

"Type 1 diabetes was previously known as juvenile diabetes because it is one of the most frequent chronic diseases in children; however, the majority of new-onset type 1 diabetes is seen in adults."

I love this

2010-06-14T15:22:00.001-04:00

Saw it on a friend's fridge many years ago. Glad to see it's on the Internet.

Haircut and a half

2010-06-10T22:01:00.002-04:00

Here's what I look like now. I know. Crazy. I had been thinking about trying something drastic for a while, since it's either that or watch my temples slowly recede. Might as well make it look intentional.

I didn't mean to shave it all the way, but I was too lazy to dig around for the #1 shield on my clippers, so there you go. Plus, we needed hair to spread around our vegetable garden and keep the bunnies away. Really.

Not so sure about this.

But Julie says I have to own it. So here goes...

Not like I have much choice in the matter...

Sleeper

2010-06-09T20:27:00.002-04:00

Beautiful version of this song by Greg Brown. They should use it in English classes to teach similes and metaphors.

"You move through my dreams like a trout moves through a pool."

"As he stood there in my doorway like a cat up in a tree... sleeper, come and go with me."

Logos

2010-06-08T08:44:00.003-04:00

I've always thought logos were fascinating. I'm no designer, but I know there's so much psychology that goes into a good one. It has to be eye-catching and creative, and also reflect the character of the team/company/etc. I think it's a little crazy that my not-yet-two-year-old sees the Chick-fil-A logo and immediately says "Chicken-A!" "Fries!" Or that she sees the Starbucks logo on TV and says "Coffee!"

Here's one that I thought was really cool when I was a kid - the Hartford Whalers (hockey). I had this tabletop hockey game and I remember thinking it was brilliant how they created the H out of empty space.

And then there's the Expos logo... for years and years, I thought it was "elb." I had no idea why, but that's just what I saw when I looked at it. It's so ingrained that even now, I still see "elb" even though I know it's an M.

The Ultimate Challenge

2010-06-06T15:13:00.003-04:00

Wow, I guess it's been almost a month since I blogged here. I'm sure my one reader, Mike Tiemann, is highly disappointed.

Things have been good around here, just crazy. Julie will be posting about our Hilton Head saga soon.

At work, we've been getting ready for our summer program. This year the theme is The Ultimate Challenge (red vs. blue). I always love this time of year because I learn so much about production... lights, sound board, etc. I work with some very talented and very patient people who are great about taking me under their proverbial wing.

This is the hallway... my co-workers did a great job hanging flags and making it festive.

Here's a wide view of the stage. I had fun cutting gel sheets to make that red glow on the left. And now I'm starting to recognize that light fixture in other places. Like the other night, I saw the same one on stage for The Canadian Tenors. I'm a dork.

Home Depot had these great rope lights that we used to line the front of the stage.

Cool action shot taken by Jill R.

Love the beat

2010-05-10T22:38:00.003-04:00

I remember when this song was everywhere. Now you can only buy it on iTunes if you buy the whole album. Movie soundtracks... blah.

I always loved the beat with the squealing baby. Brilliant.

For Grandma Ann

2010-05-09T17:31:00.001-04:00

I feel like a man

2010-05-08T13:33:00.003-04:00

This is Amelia's new (borrowed) rocking horse. We needed a long bolt that was missing to attach the saddle. Imagine my surprise to find that I had an exact matching bolt in my tool box. Who knew?

Yes you do, you know you do

2010-05-06T20:54:00.002-04:00

Man, I love this album. It doesn't get a lot of respect, even in Dylan circles. And of course, no one outside of Dylan circles knows it exists. So I'm really talking to myself here.

The general consensus among Dylan fans is that it's all junk except for the genius closer, "Every Grain of Sand." And that song is definitely a masterpiece. I just love so many things about the album as a whole. It's loose, edgy, not overproduced. It sounds live... the drums especially. And I love the theme - the ways of the world (deceit, selfishness, recklessness) contrasted by God's truth. Lots of cool Bible references. It's a lot more complex than the straight-up gospel album right before it.

It's a shame "Watered-Down Love" doesn't get any attention. It completely turns upside down the conventional wisdom about love, instead focusing on 1 Corinthians 13. You'd think "watered-down love" would mean passionless love... but in the song, you water it down when you "drown love." Because love that's pure is the most potent, the most passionate of all. Not reckless, out of control. But disciplined, careful, focused. Love like this.

Musically, it's fairly standard soul... maybe Dylan did this on purpose to turn the "usual love song" on its head.

Shot of Love is full of insights like this. It certainly makes you think. Not bad for a forgotten album.

"Watered-Down Love" - Bob Dylan

Love that’s pure hopes all things
Believes all things, won’t pull no strings
Won’t sneak up into your room, tall, dark and handsome
Capture your heart and hold it for ransom

You don’t want a love that’s pure
You wanna drown love
You want a watered-down love

Love that’s pure, it don’t make no false claims
Intercedes for you ’stead of casting you blame
Will not deceive you or lead you into transgression
Won’t write it up and make you sign a false confession

You don’t want a love that’s pure
You wanna drown love
You want a watered-down love

Love that’s pure won’t lead you astray
Won’t hold you back, won’t mess up your day
Won’t pervert you, corrupt you with stupid wishes
It don’t make you envious, it don’t make you suspicious

You don’t want a love that’s pure
You wanna drown love
You want a watered-down love

Love that’s pure ain’t no accident
Always on time, is always content
An eternal flame, quietly burning
Never needs to be proud, restlessly yearning

You don’t want a love that’s pure
You wanna drown love
You want a watered-down love

Heckling

2010-05-02T16:39:00.004-04:00

One interesting thing about the Braves game on Saturday was getting to experience bleacher culture. I had forgotten how big of a deal heckling is, especially in the outfield where the fielders can really hear you. There was one guy near us who was really letting Carlos Lee have it. He was pretty obnoxious, but thankfully he was far enough away that it didn't really affect us too much. I think the only reason the ushers let him stay was because he kept it G-rated. (One example: "Houston, we have a problem. Carlos Lee is playing left field!")

Lee actually handled it really well. He turned around and smiled at the guy a couple times. But could you imagine facing that kind of verbal abuse night after night? I'm sure a lot of it had to do with him being such a high-profile player, with a big contract and all. But it's interesting to think about - if he's been hearing that the whole game, does it creep into his mind when he comes up to bat? If he's running back to catch a ball, is he thinking, "Man, if I miss this, those guys are never going to let up"?

I know it's the worst kind of schoolyard behavior, so I certainly don't think it's a good thing. But I can't deny that it probably helps the home team. I can only imagine the abuse Bonds must have heard when he was playing. And my hat's off to Lee for handling it like a pro.

Keeping score

2010-05-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

Boy, am I glad my dad taught me to keep score. It's the Tiemann legacy. It keeps you in the game... you notice things you wouldn't otherwise... and it's just great family bonding in general. Someday I'll teach the girls. It will be awesome.

I was looking through my old scorecards through the years, to see what our record is in games we attend. Here are some highlights...

2003: 3 wins, 2 losses (including Game 1 of the NLDS). One of those wins was on an Andruw Jones pinch-hit HR in the 8th inning... probably the greatest Braves moment I've seen in person.
2004: 1 win, 2 losses - we were there for Opening Day, when Kaz Matsui (Mets) hit a home run on the first pitch of the season (and first at-bat of his MLB career).
2005: none (really?)
2006: 2 wins, 2 losses. Smoltz complete game shutout on Julie's birthday (vs. Peavy).
2007: 3 wins, 0 losses. One of those included a Bonds HR.
2008: 3 wins, 0 losses. Hudson complete game shutout... and Chipper's 400th career HR.
2009: none (we were a little busy)
2010: 1 win, 0 losses (so far!)

This doesn't count games in San Francisco... we've been to a few of those too. LOVE that stadium! And this doesn't represent all the games, because we went to a couple before 2003. And it doesn't include that cruddy 4th of July when I didn't even make it into the stadium until the 7th inning, then our car got broken into. But anyway. Fun to look back. And our personal record is really good in the past couple of years!

Boo-ya

2010-04-29T20:56:00.003-04:00

I wonder if I'm the only person who finished it. All I can say is, I enjoyed all eight weeks. A lot.

Oh yeah, and I think my fave was Italian Roast. I'd love to try them all side by side someday.

Gliding Mt. Whitney

2010-04-28T22:44:00.004-04:00

I was looking at some YouTube footage of Mt. Whitney and found this crazy glider video... this guy buzzes the peak and then heads straight down the canyon. He covers the whole trail in a matter of seconds. Skip ahead to 3:30 - that's where it really gets interesting.

Nick Drake- River Man

2010-04-22T22:56:00.003-04:00

I got into Nick Drake for a little while in college. All his music is pretty mysterious, but this song especially so. Just listen to the crazy orchestration toward the end. I think it's in 5/4 time, too. Sure doesn't sound like anything else out there.

I have a vivid memory of driving down the Oregon coast at 2am, listening to this in the pitch-dark, rainy night. Probably not the wisest thing when you're trying to stay awake, but it did create quite a mood.

Pressing On

2010-04-22T22:47:00.003-04:00

Really cool arrangement of this classic from Bob's gospel years.

Soy un perdedor

2010-04-06T21:32:00.003-04:00

For a little while in the mid-'90s, there was no one cooler than Beck. I've been listening to a lot of '90s music lately. I know everyone is nostalgic for "their" era of music... the time when they first got into bands and whatnot... but I happen to think the mid-'90s was a real peak of creativity. You had Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Breeders, U2, etc. all doing brilliant, fresh stuff. You know, back when it was "alternative."

My friend Casey got me into every cool band, really. And I'm convinced we were Beck's biggest fans in Ukiah, CA. I still remember how excited I was to go see him in concert in Seattle, and then I ended up getting sick and had to stay home. We were going to parachute a Hideous Kids tape to him while he was on stage, then he was going to discover us and invite us to tour with him. No one was a bigger influence on HK.

Anyway, I heard this on the radio yesterday and it struck me how all the jibberish rapping "means" a lot more now that I'm older. Of course it's still just cool-sounding nonsense (which is very Dylanesque, by the way)... but the little phrases actually conjure up real images now. When I listened in high school, I would hear him say "Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D, got a couple of couches, sleep on the loveseat," and it would sound cool... but now I get all these mental pictures that go along with it... I guess because now I've lived my life a few years with couches and loveseats and Reno and vitamin D. Maybe this is more a commentary on the innocence of youth. But regardless, it's a heck of a song.

Out of print

2010-04-06T21:19:00.006-04:00

I bought this album in high school... thought it would be great... turned out to be so awful that I sold it used. There were one or two excellent tracks, though. And now I regret it because it's out of print! What a shame.

I still sing this song to this day. It helps that there are in fact concrete animals at our playground.

And another amazing album that's out of print... a travesty!

An appreciation

2010-03-27T21:27:00.006-04:00

I would like to thank Dwight Eisenhower for the U.S. Interstate Highway System. I think we take interstates for granted... but they really are quite amazing. Did you know...

-The interstate system is the largest public works project in history.
-In large part, it was created for national defense.
-The act was passed in 1956, and the system was considered complete in 1992 (when I-70 was finished in Colorado).
-The widest interstate in the country is I-75 in north Atlanta, near the intersection with 285 (15 lanes!).

I grew up spending lots of time on Hwy. 101 in California, and also I-5 in the Central Valley. I love them both, but on 101, you could be on a windy two-lane road along the cliff tops above the ocean one minute, then in a city with traffic lights the next, then on a divided 4-lane the next. Whereas I-5 is the same all the way from Mexico to Oregon. Lots of golden grass, blue sky, fields of produce, and just generally smooth sailing.

What made me think about all this was our trip today to Chattanooga. We tried something new and took GA Hwy. 140 all the way from our house to I-75. It was a nice, scenic adventure - for some reason, I love trying different routes to a familiar place. Is it for variety? To somehow find the perfect route that no one else knows about? Not sure.

Anyway, eventually we met up with I-75, and it was a stark contrast to the two-lane highway experience... which was scenic and relaxing, but also full of speed limit changes, stop signs, sharp curves, etc. Interstates are great because they just smooth it all out, which is a fabulous thing when you really need it. Could you imagine trying to get through Atlanta on surface streets, or on Hwy. 41 (the "old highway")? Everything would take three times as long.

I know the interstates caused some problems too, like drying up the tourist revenue for small towns that got bypassed. (The movie "Cars" shows this quite poignantly.) But I just want to say that I'm proud of this system that must have taken an insane amount of planning and initiative.

My first concert

2010-03-26T09:06:00.002-04:00

Casey just posted about this, so I thought I'd do the same. My first rock concert was actually an extremely cool one - the R.E.M. Monster tour in 1995. Sonic Youth opened. It was at the Shoreline Amphitheater in the Bay Area, in the open air.

I remember being starstruck with the whole experience. There was that shocking sense that the R.E.M. guys were actually right there in front of us - something that fades as you go to more and more shows. But at the beginning, it's a very exciting thing.

In hindsight, Monster may not be such a great album (except for two or three flashes of brilliance). But the tour certainly was!

Guadalajara won't do

2010-03-26T09:02:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure why I love Steely Dan, but I sure do. They're just such pros. Amazing musicians. And Fagen's voice is just weird enough to add some grit to the proceedings.

I love this song, even though this performance is totally lip-synced. You have to tip your cap to someone who can fake that guitar solo!

Takes me back to Yosemite

2010-03-16T21:59:00.003-04:00

Glorious cover of a Neil Young song, by Cassandra Wilson. The bird calls at the beginning are a little much (it's crickets on the recording)... but it's very cool to see a live version of this.

No more cropped videos

2010-03-15T21:51:00.001-04:00

I used this very helpful article to expand my blog width. Now you can see the full version of videos like this one.

One of my favorite songs. EVER.

2010-03-14T14:59:00.002-04:00

Dick Gaughan singing "Now Westlin Winds" (by Robert Burns). I first heard it in my Burns class when I was studying abroad in Scotland.

"Not vernal showers to budding flowers
Not autumn to the farmer
So dear can be, as thou to me,
My fair, my lovely charmer"

I'm SO doing this.

2010-03-12T08:44:00.002-05:00

Starbucks Bold Passport."Discover a new brewed coffee every week." And then you get a free pound of bold coffee at the end. This was made for black coffee lovers like me!

PB done right

2010-03-08T20:25:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I posted. I figure it's a good time to declare my love of this stuff:

Natural PB (the kind with the oil on top) has been a staple for me ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes. It's a low-carb way to fill up - Diet Coke serves the same purpose. Oh, and might I add that it's absolutely delicious!

I've tried lots of brands over the years, and the store brands are either too salty, too creamy or too thick. The name brands are now starting to come out with "natural" varieties, but they have all kinds of junk in there (including sugar)... I guess to make it taste more like regular PB... which now just tastes like a jar of preservatives to me.

Smucker's, on the other hand, does it right.
Ingredients: peanuts, salt.

Mmmm....

Homage

2010-02-21T15:32:00.007-05:00

I've been listening to two AMAZING albums lately that I got into back in college, and more and more I'm realizing how many similarities they have. May I present...

"Across the Great Divide" [with Emmylou Harris] (Kate Wolf) - 3:57
"Woman of the Phoenix" [with James Hooker] (Vince Bell) - 2:41
"Tecumseh Valley" [with Arlo Guthrie] (Townes Van Zandt) - 4:29
"Three Flights Up" (Frank Christian) - 3:31
"Boots of Spanish Leather" (Bob Dylan) - 5:17
"Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" [with John Prine] (John Prine) - 4:20
"From Clare to Here" [with Pete Cummins] (Ralph McTell) - 5:11
"Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound" [with Carolyn Hester] (Tom Paxton) - 3:16
"Do-Re-Mi" [with Guy Clark] (Woody Guthrie) - 2:52
"This Old Town" (Janis Ian, Jon Vezner) - 3:00
"Comin' Down in the Rain" [with Lee Satterfield] (Buddy Mondlock) - 3:45
"Ten Degrees and Getting Colder" [with Iris DeMent] (Gordon Lightfoot) - 2:40
"Morning Song for Sally" (Jerry Jeff Walker) - 4:55
"Night Rider's Lament" [with Don Edwards] (Michael Burton) - 3:57
"Are You Tired of Me Darling?" [with Iris DeMent and Emmylou Harris] (G.P. Cook, Ralph Roland) - 3:11
"Turn Around" (Malvina Reynolds/Harry Belafonte/Allen Greene) - 3:19
"Wimoweh" [with Odetta, Indigo Girls, Kennedy-Rose, John Prine, James Hooker, Holly & Barry Tashian, John Gorka, Dave Mallett, Marlin Griffith (Nanci's father), Jim Rooney] (Solomon Linda) - 1:47

Disc one
"Bears" (Fromholz) – 3:04
"Lungs" (Van Zandt) – 2:18
"Step Inside This House (Step Inside My House)" (Clark) – 5:29
"Memphis Midnight/Memphis Morning" (Taylor) – 4:23
"I've Had Enough" (Bell, Calvert) – 3:02
"Teach Me About Love" (Hyatt) – 3:52
"Sleepwalking" (Ramsey) – 5:39
"Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy" (Rodriguez) – 5:51
"More Pretty Girls Than One" (traditional) – 2:56
"West Texas Highway" (Castleman, Murphey) – 3:32
"Rollin' By" (Keen) – 4:06

Disc two
"Texas Trilogy: Daybreak" (Fromholz) – 3:17
"Texas Trilogy: Train Ride" (Fromholz) – 2:35
"Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance" (Fromholz) – 4:53
"Flyin' Shoes" (Van Zandt) – 4:38
"Babes in the Woods" (Hyatt) – 3:04
"Highway Kind" (Van Zandt) – 3:27
"Lonely in Love" (Hyatt) – 2:45
"If I Needed You" (Van Zandt) – 3:46
"I'll Come Knockin' " (Hyatt) – 3:24
"Texas River Song" (traditional) – 4:09

In Nanci's case, she was covering songs by people who had influenced her career. Lyle's approach was similar, but his was specifically about fellow Texas songwriters.

What strikes me about these CDs is, if you really LOVE someone else's work, how much life you can breathe into it. I've never been a huge covers guy, but these are two examples of how to do it right. These albums have introduced me to people like Kate Wolf, not to mention one of my all-time favorite Dylan songs, "Boots of Spanish Leather." 10 years later, I'm still not tired of these songs and these thoughtful, powerful arrangements.

On Nanci's album, every single song is just fantastic - start to finish. Lyle's can seem overly long, but honestly it would be tough to pick just one CD worth of songs. These songs instantly transport me back to the Yosemite days, and they mean so much... so many moods. Plus, I just love his voice. So evocative, so wonderfully precise, so pitch-perfect. "Rollin' By" makes you feel like you're at a truck stop at 2am, about to drive off into the emptiness of the West.

Side note... the first song Julie and I ever sang together was the "Texas River Song." That's what our dates were like in Yosemite Valley. :)

Acting... on another level

2010-02-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

I just watched Robert Duvall's "The Apostle" again. I've always admired it, but it's taken years for me to really grow to love it. Now I'd probably put it in my Top 5.

It's really an amazing story... a true labor of love for Duvall... he put up his own money to make it when no one else would finance it. The movie's theme is beautiful - God working through us despite our mistakes and brokenness. It has such a dark, ominous feel, like you're watching "The Godfather" or something - which of course makes the redemption story all the more powerful.

I can't imagine a better acting performance than Duvall in this movie. The reason I say that is that he truly becomes this character, Sonny. He recruited real church members from real churches and mixed them in with the actors, so at some point, you feel like the actors have lost themselves in the authentic responses of the people around them. They become real people, even in the context of the movie - art and real life become blurred - and what comes into focus is purely God. Much like with Sonny's back story... he devotes himself so wholeheartedly to his new calling that when his past eventually catches up to him, it's an afterthought. The lasting image is one thing - God.

I took these quotes from the "Making Of" feature on the DVD. They explain what I'm trying to explain here.

"I think if I had used all actors, it would have been a different thing ... So that's why I tried to use as many people from those churches - turn the process around - let it come from them."
-Duvall

"When we did the scene of [Sammy] being saved, he had been saved in a small church in a town in Georgia when he was a teenager... and evidently the preacher went bad ... something happened... and he became very disillusioned with religion. So when we did the scene, I never saw an actor more emotional, legitimately. It was from his feet, you know - and it was like he got saved again on camera."
-Duvall

"I think actors will be studying this movie for 100 years. There's never been a movie that's been made about a character like Bobby's character that's so real, and so passionate. I mean, you see from the opening frame in the film the passion that goes into this movie."
-Rob Carliner, Producer

Enjoy the final scene here... and I really do recommend seeing the whole thing. Can you believe Duvall lost the Oscar to Nicholson in "As Good As It Gets"? I mean, I loved that movie too, but this is on a whole other plane.

The things you learn...

2010-02-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

Our friends Sterling and Catriona gave us this great British nursery rhyme CD when Amelia was born. I like to play it in the mornings when I drive the girls to work. It's really well-done - actually fun to listen to, with a good variety of voices. And they left out the creepier songs (no "Rockabye Baby" here).

My favorite is "I Am the Music Man." Maybe the girls will develop a bit of a British accent if they listen to it enough.

Four things I've learned from this CD:

-Jill actually caused Jack to fall down the hill. I never knew this.

-Apparently Michael Finnegan was reincarnated ("then he died and had to beginagain").

-The melody for "See Saw Margery Daw" is so convoluted, it reaches a kind of crazed genius. It's like calculus or something.

-Amelia says "Yay!" when each song ends. It's adorable.

Update

2010-02-10T20:30:00.003-05:00

Great news - now we ARE going to the Pierce Pettis show! Julie's parents are going to babysit. What a great Valentine's present from my fabulous wife!

Here are two longshots that I really hope he'll play. I can't imagine either one will happen, but I just love these songs!

I Will Be Here (not to be confused with the Steven Curtis Chapman song)

A Mountaineer Is Always Free

Righteous

2010-02-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

Here's audio of Bob playing at the White House this past week - for a PBS special called "In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement." Apparently it's airing Thursday night at 8:00 EST on PBS. Cool!

Love this arrangement - and the fact that he's singing the original melody, too.

Mmmm...

2010-02-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

French roast plus lemon cake equals crazy delicious!

Now this is gonna be GOOD!

2010-02-04T08:48:00.003-05:00

Pierce Pettis playing at Eddie's Attic - live music doesn't get much better than that! We've seen him play there four times over the years, if I'm remembering right. It's a fantastic venue - intimate, good food, with sound so clear you can understand every word.

Pierce is probably the only artist other than Dylan whose music I can just put on shuffle and listen to indefinitely. It's that good. And the crazy thing is, he's even better live.

We won't be at this show because, well, we have two babies... but I can't recommend it highly enough! And this time he's performing with two of his kids. How cool is that?

Info from Pierce's newsletter:
Friday, Feb.12, Decatur, GA / EDDIE'S ATTIC / 515-B N. McDonough St. / 8PM --doors at 6:30 PM / $12 advance, $15 at the door
ph. 404-377-4976 / --w/Grace Pettis opening! . . . and very special guest, George Pettis!
for more info, advance tickets, etc. please visit Eddie's website: http://www.eddiesattic.com

"A torrent of musical language that speaks to the head and the heart"
-- The San Francisco Chronicle

Grows on ya.

2010-02-01T21:48:00.006-05:00

It's taken me a long time to appreciate Sandra McCracken's music. I first heard about her as Derek Webb's wife and writer of a few Caedmon's Call songs ("The High Countries," "Awake My Soul"). To be honest, her songs didn't make much of an impression on me at first.

But then, over time, Julie got a couple of her CDs, and we went to see her and Derek play at Eddie's Attic. Very slowly, really over a period of years, I started to get more familiar with her music as it came up on the iPod. It's grown on me so gradually that I don't know when it clicked... but the fact is, this is some of my favorite music released in the past decade (more on that later).

It's interesting to compare it to Derek's music. I admire his stuff... I respect it... I love the challenging lyrics... no one else I know of writes like that. It's just that I kind of lose interest in the sameness of it all. I like it at first, but I don't have the urge to seek it out to hear it again. I guess it just seems like the music is a vehicle for the lyrics... which is fine... but I really love the hooks in Sandra's music, subtle as they are. Just a personal preference. I do think a lot of his songs are brilliant ("Mockingbird," "Wedding Dress," "A New Law")... and I love hearing their collaborations!

Gravity | Love is definitely my favorite of hers. These songs are "slow growers" for sure, but VERY satisfying once you get into them. Really profound, moving stuff... especially "Portadown Station" and "All the Miles." Oh, and the recording quality is impeccable. LOVE the electric piano and the crisp, organic drums.

1. Head Over Heel
2. Long Way Home
3. Goodbye George
4. Gravity
5. Traincar
6. Portadown Station
7. Doubt
8. Broken Cup
9. Shelter
10. Chattanooga
11. All The Miles

Highs: Head Over Heel, Portadown Station, Doubt, Shelter, All the Miles

Lows: Gravity, Goodbye George (good song, nice idea, but it's kind of a novelty... seems like it would have been better as a single)

By the way, I started thinking about all this because of a Facebook survey asking for my top 10 albums of the 2000s. Here they are (no particular order):

I like this.

2010-01-30T13:15:00.002-05:00

It's not very often that something new really catches my attention (especially on a music TV channel)... but here you go.

Epic

2010-01-27T20:36:00.003-05:00

Photo: Charles Brigham

Today's lunchtime reading, from crazyguyonabike.com. Fascinating story from a guy who wanted to wanted to get from the U.S.A. to Europe the old-fashioned way - i.e. sailboat. So he hired on with a boat heading from Antigua (Caribbean island) to England. He describes what it's like to spend two weeks sailing across that massive ocean. Click here and enjoy.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=79780&v=Rv

I am a music nerd

2010-01-26T21:45:00.002-05:00

The Rite of Spring came up in conversation today. This is one creepy piece of music. You may remember it from Fantasia - the dinosaur scene:

They say it caused rioting when Stravinsky first debuted it in Paris. Half the crowd couldn't handle the dissonance, and the other half was trying to get them to stop booing... so they started a brawl. Pretty fascinating that classical music used to have that kind of grasp on the public's attention. It's crazy to think about how important performance used to be, too - before mass media and recordings, that was your only chance to hear a piece like this. The atmosphere must have been electric at those premieres.

But anyway... it reminded me of my jazz band days in high school. Our combo was performing this modal song ("Impressions"), and I thought it would be cool to play the Rite of Spring intro as my solo. I didn't stop to think through whether this would sound good or if there was any real point to it (which, of course, there wasn't). But I did wonder if the judges would notice.

I got the tapes back later, and two of the judges acted mildly horrified ("This doesn't really fit the harmony at all.") But the third judge heard it.

"Ah...
Stravinsky meets Coltrane?
(long pause)
Anyway, what I was saying before..."

Obviously he wasn't too impressed with my nerdiness. But I still think it's cool that he noticed. And in 2010, Rite of Spring is still a crazy wacko piece of music.

Snap Judgement: The Sign (1993)

2010-01-22T19:02:00.003-05:00

1. All That She Wants
2. Don't Turn Around
3. Young and Proud
4. The Sign
5. Living in Danger
6. Dancer in a Daydream
7. Wheel of Fortune
8. Waiting for Magic [Total Remix 7"]
9. Happy Nation
10. Voulez-Vous Danser
11. My Mind [Mindless Mix]
12. All That She Wants [Banghra Version]

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

OK - I know you know this one. Here's why.
-It has to be THE most common sight in used-CD stores.
-According to Wikipedia, it's one of the Top 100 Bestselling Albums of All Time (!)
-I think it's one of those CDs like Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em that everyone owned... whether they admit it or not.

So it's a terrible album - with one exception, All That She Wants. Am I the only one who used to take that song literally? Like, all that she wants is another infant?

Reminds me of: The BMG Music Service. Remember that? When you'd get a box of 6 CDs in the mail for a penny?

Highs: All That She Wants (a good snapshot of the early '90s, and still pretty fun). I used to like The Sign, but I'm still tired of it after 15 years.

Lows: Let's face it... everything else.

Although...
There's something mildly entertaining about lyrics as bad as these. They must have made more sense in Swedish.

"What you gonna tell your dad
It's like a wheel of fortune
And what you gonna tell your dad
If this wheel lets you down
My love is my engine
And you might be fuel
Stop acting cool
Just bet you might win"
-Wheel of Fortune

"Kiss me baby I'm attractive
Baby get to know me
Show who you are
Give me that magic
Baby I'm eternal
Lying in a coffin
Waiting for you"
-Waiting for Magic

Pretzel bread!

2010-01-21T19:13:00.003-05:00

May I present... the Corner Bakery Bavarian ham sandwich. Notice the coarse sea salt on the pretzel bread... mmm....

Description from the CB menu:
Shaved red onions, plum tomatoes, caraway Havarti cheese, and stoneground mustard-mayo.

It could be the best sandwich around... in the lofty company of Atlanta Bread's ABC Special, Firehouse Italian and Panera's Bacon Turkey Bravo.

Snap Judgement: Heaven & Earth (1999)

2010-01-20T22:24:00.006-05:00

1. For The Glory Of Your Name - Michelle Tumes
2. Whisper My Name - Jennifer Knapp
3. In Your Love - Nichole Nordeman
4. My Dwelling Place - Michelle Tumes
5. River Of Life - Rebecca St. James
6. Jesus Hail The Lamb - Margaret Becker
7. Heaven And Earth - Nichole Nordeman
8. Ocean Of Mercy - Jennifer Knapp
9. Christ Before Me - Margaret Becker
10. As We Wait - Rebecca St. James

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

A real gem of a worship album here... you can tell a lot of care went into it... with some almost medieval/Celtic-sounding transitions between tracks. Not sure where the idea came from (maybe those "___ Moods" sleep CDs that were popular at the time), but it's pretty brilliant. This one gets played a lot at our house, in the girls' rooms as they fall asleep. Only three stars because the second half just makes me miss the first half.

Highs: For the Glory of Your Name, Whisper My Name, My Dwelling Place, Jesus Hail the Lamb

Lows: #7-10

Reminds me of: Birmingham - playing guitar to these songs in our first apartment

"We behold the man of sorrows
Hanging there upon a cross
Where we wounded One so holy
Yet these wounds are life to us
For the blood You shed was perfect
And Your finished work remains
For the glory of Your name
For the glory of Your name"

Snap Judgement: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)

2010-01-18T20:12:00.012-05:00

I'm going to try something new here... I'm calling it Snap Judgement, for lack of a better term. Basically I'm going to post VERY quick reviews of albums - as they come up on the iPod, for instance - the first thoughts that come to mind. Part of this is to celebrate albums as a whole, which are kind of a dying art form. Part of it is just to share music that I love.

I'll post a link to the Amazon page if you click on the cover art - that way you can listen to song samples if you like. Feel free to comment if you agree or disagree... or if you have other recommendations. I'll also post star ratings, and I'll try really hard to save 5 stars for the best of the best.

Who knows, this may be the only one I do, and it may not stick... but it's worth a shot!

P.S. I know "judgment" is the more accepted spelling, but I miss the e. Weird, I know.

1. Right In Time
2. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
3. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
4. Drunken Angel
5. Concrete And Barbed Wire
6. Lake Charles
7. Can't Let Go
8. I Lost It
9. Metal Firecracker
10. Greenville
11. Still I Long For Your Kiss
12. Joy
13. Jackson

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A Southern roots-rock masterpiece... vivid everyday pictures that add up to so much more... accessible pop hooks... place names as poetry.

Highs: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Metal Firecracker, Joy, Jackson

Lows: Still I Long for Your Kiss

Reminds me of: Pointing my car east in the wee hours of the morning in Barstow, CA... on the epic drive to move to the South.

"Leaning agianst the railing of the Lake Charles bridge
Overlooking the river, leaning over the edge
He asked me, 'Baby, would you jump into the water with me?'
I told him, 'No way, baby, that's your own death, you see.'"
-2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten

Journey to Iona

2010-01-16T22:45:00.014-05:00

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"Journey" is probably one of the most overused words in our reality-TV culture... I realize this. But Julie and I were just reminiscing about our Scotland trip in '07, before we entered the world of parenthood. And on that trip, we took an epic journey to the Isle of Iona. So what brought on this trip down memory lane? Well, we went on a date last night, again thanks to Julie's parents... had a great dinner at Red Robin (Banzai Burger!)... had fun running through the frigid rainstorm... and we saw this:

Really fun movie - perfect for a date. It takes place in Ireland, which is what made us nostalgic for Iona. And most of the movie follows Amy Adams as she tries to travel through the Irish wilderness. So that especially made us remember the lengths we went to to make it to Iona.

I had heard about Iona when I studied abroad back in college, but never got there. I heard it described as a mystical island, far away on the west coast - the place where St. Columba first brought Celtic Christianity to Scotland - and now a major pilgrimage site. When Julie and I were planning our trip, we read about it again and knew we had to find a way to get there.

Now, the British public transportation system is legendary. I mean, it's incredible. We went with the BritRail Pass, and we used it every single day of the eight days allotted. We went all over the U.K. and only had to pay the one-time fee for the pass. Amazing!

Even though you can get just about anywhere on the train, it takes some serious planning when you get ferries involved. It turned out that to get to Iona, we would have exactly ONE chance to make three or four separate connections... each with about a 10-minute window to make the next one... via train, ferry, bus, then another ferry. Here's our itinerary sheet - notice the tight times for each connection!

We started at Glenfinnan, where we had stayed at a B&B the night before, and we hopped on the train.

The Jacobite Steam Train pulling into Glenfinnan station.

Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, from the train.

You can see on the map here that you have to change trains in Crianlarich if you want to head west to Oban.

We did this, spent a half hour in Crianlarich waiting for our connection, and then jumped on what we thought was the train to Oban. Well, it turns out half the train's cars were going to Oban... and half were going the opposite direction. The train staff saw us and told us this - I guess they saw our backpacks and figured we meant to be going west to the islands. Thank goodness they did, or we never would have made it to Iona!

Made it to Oban, bought our ferry tickets, and we were off to sea!

On the Oban-Craignure ferry, to the Isle of Mull.

The VERY large ferry.

Isle of Mull (from the bus).

Heather on Mull.

Finally we made it Fionnphort, and the short ferry crossing to Iona!

It was pretty gray and misty that first day, but little did we know how gorgeous and sunny it would be in the morning!

View from the Iona Hostel - goats frolicking outside, warm and dry inside (with lots of books).

Our room at the hostel.

The rest of these photos are repeats from a past entry about our trip, but I thought I'd include them here so you can see what a glorious day we had the next day - one of our very best!

The Iona Hostel. We loved this place!

The north shore of Iona, near the hostel.

One of the hostel's friendly goats. This guy followed us to the gate to say goodbye.

Pastoral beauty on Iona.

Iona Abbey - we made it to part of the morning service.

Walking to Dun I, the highest point on the island.

Dun I summit.

You can see the hostel below.

Iona harbor.

Iona from Fionnphort, after we took the ferry back to Mull.

What an amazing place!

Dylan covers

2010-01-08T09:48:00.008-05:00

No one sings Dylan like Dylan... so the saying goes. I totally believe this, but I also know his voice can be an acquired taste. The Blonde on Blonde voice used to be a little much for me to take, back when I was first getting into his music. I will say this, though - no one can match the raw emotion and precise phrasing of Dylan's singing. Some other time I might post some examples of this.

But for now, I wanted to post my top 5 Dylan covers. This isn't so much about the voice as it is about innovative arrangements that bring something new to the songs - not easy to do!

5. Spanish Harlem Incident - Chris Whitley
I heard this on a Dylan covers compilation and it blew me away - a relaxed, bluesy, heartfelt arrangement of one of Dylan's obscure '60s songs. It makes Dylan's strident version sound like a demo... and reminds you how deep his song catalog really is!

4. My Back Pages - Marshall Crenshaw
Bob's original recording of this might be my least favorite recording of his. It's just so unfinished and tedious - like he's still figuring out what the chords should be. Of course, the song is an absolute classic and would later develop in others' hands ("I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"). Crenshaw's version is polished, faithful, and how I wish Dylan would have recorded it.

3. Blowin' in the Wind - Peter, Paul & Mary
Talk about classic! PPM are just so professional and solid, while still retaining a nice spontaneous quality to their performance. I don't know how they do it. Their harmonies add so much to this song that seems like it's been around since the dawn of time.

2. Boots of Spanish Leather - Nanci Griffith
This gorgeous version has always been a favorite of mine. Took me a while to realize Dylan is playing harmonica on the recording, too. Beautiful song, and Nanci's voice just captures the longing so well.

1. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix took Dylan's stripped-down original and made it a rock epic... the way the intro just blasts out of your speakers with such raw power. Now Dylan plays the Hendrix version in his shows - pretty cool.

Honorable mention: Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word (Joan Baez), Just Like a Woman (Richie Havens).

Pescado!

2010-01-01T22:43:00.003-05:00

I shall now break my blog silence with an ode to seafood. I've had lots of blog ideas lately - just been preoccupied with holiday craziness, and projects like our 2009 Tiemann Family DVD.

Julie and I had a spectacularly awesome date night on New Year's Eve. BIG thanks to her parents for babysitting the girls! We had dinner at Cafe Lily in Decatur - a gift from Julie's aunt and uncle from when Lily was born. Let me tell you, it was SO GOOD to get out for a gourmet meal like that. Seriously amazing food. When you go to a place like that, you know it's going to be a certain level of deliciousness, but the real test is, would you go back? Or would you try a different gourmet restaurant instead? I'm happy to tell you that I would definitely go back to Cafe Lily.

I wish there were some way to convey a dining experience on a blog... but it's not like you can take photos of your plate. So I'll just describe the highlights. We got a calamari appetizer that was probably the second-best calamari I've ever tasted (#1 is Murphy's). Oh man, this was good. I'll copy and paste the description from their menu:

Calamari a la Plancha – served on a sizzling platter (not breaded and fried) with olive oil, garlic, scallions, and fresh lemon

Um, YES, please. For our entrees, Julie got seared scallops with risotto, and I got mahi mahi with cilantro butter and almond rice. Mouthwatering, yes it was.

Seems like I always go for the seafood at those kind of places. It's something about the freshness of the flavors. I couldn't help but remember our epic date last New Year's Eve, when we stayed in Mendocino, CA. Turned out we REALLY needed that getaway, since we had just found out Lily was going to be entering our lives!

Anyway, last year we ate at the Moosse Cafe. Here's a picture that really doesn't do the scene justice, but at least it gives you an idea. That's the Pacific Ocean at the end of the street.

And here's what I got that night - copied and pasted from their menu:

North coast cioppino of fresh fish, white Gulf prawns, mussels, clams and calamari simmered in a saffron-fennel-tomato broth, served with herb-aioli and olive oil crostini

One of my top five meals EVER. Good heavens, I love good seafood.

Up-S-T-R-double-E-T

2009-12-18T12:38:00.006-05:00

My job is way more fun than should be legally allowed. One of my favorite projects has been this rap video by Philip, who's one of our incredible UpStreet hosts. This means he's the emcee in the kindergarten-1st grade environment every single Sunday. The kids love him, as you can imagine!

We showed this video in our volunteer meeting last Sunday. Philip just came up with this rap on his own, why he loves serving on UpStreet. So we made a video. We green screened-it a few weeks ago (if that's a word), and here's the finished product. Look for Amelia's special appearance!

Behind the scenes...

Probably the best Christmas song of the '90s

2009-12-12T11:37:00.005-05:00

Wow, I loved Smashing Pumpkins! They had a brief window of brilliance with their first couple albums (Siamese Dream especially)... and a totally unique sound. I first heard this song at a planetarium Christmas show in Kingsport, TN. The video is pretty funny.

Family resemblance FUN

2009-12-06T20:31:00.001-05:00

Who ate all the pies?

2009-12-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

One phrase you'll hear a lot around the Tiemann house: "Lily ate all the pies!" This comes from one of my favorite British phrases - "Who ate all the pies?" It's a good-natured way to dig at someone. (The pies being British meat pies, of course.)

I distinctly remember watching a rugby match with my roommates (I mean flatmates)... they kept heckling the other team ("Number 13 ate all the pies!"). To which their monstrous team captain replied, "Your mother ate all the pies!"

I'm very proud of our little Lily who usually does "eat all the pies" - in other words, she finishes every drop of the bottle. This did not come easily with Amelia. I am grateful for both of our cute little eaters!

And now, some Scottish scenes (for context)...

Aberdeen harbor (I mean harbour)

Union Street, Aberdeen

William Wallace statue and His Majesty's Theater (I mean Theatre)

Shimmery North Sea

Gettin' Christmasy

2009-11-29T15:08:00.007-05:00

It always feels so good to get the tree up, get the house decorated, put on the Christmas playlist. We also love to play Christmas music on the way to Thanksgiving in south Georgia - that seems like the logical time to start. (Unless you have a new Dylan Christmas album to listen to, but that's another story.)

I thought I'd share some of my very favorite Christmas music. Would love to know your recommendations, too!

Christmas - North Point
A wonderful ensemble album with North Point singers, from a few years ago. Standouts are "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "Little Drummer Boy."

"The Greatest Gift" from Jingle Jam
This is from ReThink, who produce the songs we sing on UpStreet. "The Greatest Gift" is on here, and I think it might be the world's most perfect Christmas song. Beautiful John 3:16 chorus.

When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick Jr.
I know the cover's cheesy, but here's the thing - Harry can really sing! This is probably the first Christmas CD I ever bought, and I've never gotten tired of it. You feel like he means every word. And the track list is just perfect, from start to finish - great originals, some fun, obscure ones ("Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"!), and capped off with the closing 1-2 punch of "O Holy Night" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"

Christmas - Michael W. Smith
Vintage stuff from the late '80s... introspective, symphonic, epic... and really unlike anything else. Which is quite an accomplishment for a Christmas album. Favorite track: "All Is Well."

"Breath of Heaven" from Home for Christmas (Amy Grant)
There are some just incredibly beautiful songs on this CD. I'm always reminded of this when we have the Christmas playlist on random and "Breath of Heaven" comes on.

Bring Us Peace - Ginny Owens
Another great one, start to finish. Lots of different moods on here.

Christmas in the Heart - Bob Dylan
You've already heard my thoughts on this one. :) Must be Santa! Must be Santa!

Dancing Day - John Rutter
Not only my absolute favorite Christmas music, but in the running for most beautiful music ever made. Just harp and treble voices. Exquisite melodies - creates quite a mood. The only recording I have is from college, when the women's chorus sang it. I was downstairs getting ready for our choir set, so I only heard it on the recording after the fact. Now I see iTunes has some versions available too. I may have to check those out someday.

Last but not least, one of the most bizarrely beautiful pairings ever, Bing Crosby and David Bowie. Bowie - what a voice!

Date night

2009-11-22T15:24:00.002-05:00

Julie and I went on a much-anticipated DATE on Saturday night! Her parents watched the girls so we could have a night out. We started with our fave, Pure Taqueria. I don't know if there's a better meal out there than Pure shrimp fajitas!

Then it was on to the theater for New Moon. I'm one of those people who's never read the Twilight books but got totally swept up in the movies. So besides the anticipation of seeing it on opening weekend, it also works out great because I don't have to hear spoilers.

I've written before about how much I loved the first movie. I can't say New Moon quite measures up, for me, but it was still two hours of pure entertainment.

My impressions:
-I absolutely LOVE the Pacific Northwest setting. I don't know if the author ever lived in that part of western Washington or what, but it's perfect for this story. It really does feel that mysterious and moody... dark woods and beaches... just great.

-I was pleasantly surprised by the wolves. It's rare that CGI can make me forget it's CGI... and there was a little bit of that... but overall they did a great job with the action sequences.

-These movies are PERFECTLY cast. And I'm not just talking about the three leads, who have all kinds of charisma. (Brooding charisma is still charisma.) I think the reason the story works so well, even though it's about vampires and werewolves, is that the setting feels very grounded in reality. Bella's dad, Jacob's dad, Bella's friends at school - they seem like people you might know, and they manage to create plausible characters out of very little screen time. So you relate to them, and I think that's what makes it so compelling.

-Some really cool artistic scenes, like the camera circling Bella in her room as the months changed... the cliff-diving camera angles... the Bella/Jacob dialogue scene in the rain.

-I thought the scene with the council in Italy was pretty painful... lots of unintentional laughter in our theater. Julie said that's the most intense part of the book, and I can see that. It just didn't come across well on screen.

-Poor Pattinson really got the raw end of the deal. The few scenes he got were mostly just sulking. This movie definitely belonged to Jacob. (Side note: I was REALLY laughing under my breath at this scene. But Julie says it's some foreshadowing that will become clear in time...)

Now these are some lyrics!

2009-11-20T22:36:00.003-05:00

Before the Throne of God Above
Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of my guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of glory and of grace

One in Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!
With Christ my Savior and my God!

...and it gets weirder.

2009-11-17T20:20:00.002-05:00

The new video for "Must Be Santa."

My review: Christmas in the Heart

2009-11-14T21:05:00.007-05:00

I'll keep this short, because I know there's been a lot of Dylan on here lately. (OK, OK... it's probably 60% of the content of this blog.)

So Bob just released a Christmas album. Yes, a Christmas album. Julie bought it for me since I took care of the girls last week when all the Tiemanns were sick. "The album is my gift to you," she said. "Your gift to me is to not make me listen to it." Julie Tiemann... she's generous AND funny.

Now, I really do love Christmas music. I'm as sentimental as the next guy. I like red Starbucks cups and White Christmas and gingerbread cookies. It's just that the words "Bob Dylan Christmas album" don't sound very promising. You want to hear beautiful voices singing those timeless melodies - people like Bing and Karen Carpenter. And I love Bob's singing, but it's hard to imagine it could fit this kind of material.

It could be interesting, I thought, when I first heard the rumors. Maybe some Christmas murder ballads, or a dark, acoustic take on some of the edgier songs. But then I heard the preview clips and saw the track list - same old stuff, for the most part. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." "Winter Wonderland." Fine if you have someone like James Taylor singing them, but Dylan? Modern, gravely-voiced, growling old Dylan?

Well, I'm happy to tell you that Christmas in the Heart works. It's actually very genuine and poignant, mainly because Bob plays it straight. He sings the melodies. He sounds like he loves these songs, too.

Some nice moments... the bluesy rhythm guitar on "Do You Hear What I Hear." The excellent Dylan harmonica on "Christmas Blues" that leaves you wanting more. The Andrews Sisters-esque background singers that are just ragged enough to keep things loose and fun. Bob's voice doesn't work on everything, especially the ballads. But it's kind of fun to hear him croon "I'll Be Home for Christmas" like a drunken hobo. Certainly a lot more interesting than a Christina Aguilera version.

But my favorite by far is "Must Be Santa." You've got to listen to it (in the box below). Minnesota polka madness!

Overall, it's a warm, charming little record, especially if you're in the right mood... say a rainy drive to work with some good coffee in hand. Not bad for something completely out of left field.

Great for so many reasons

2009-11-07T11:53:00.003-05:00

Here's Bob at the 1998 Grammys. Fantastic performance of a killer song... and some of Bob's best lead guitar work, too.

The CK One background dancers are pretty bizarre, but wait 'til you see what happens at 2:54. Keep in mind this was on live network TV. Bob barely bats an eye, just keeps performing like it's part of the show.

Old skool - Championship Baseball

2009-11-06T11:19:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure what made me think of this, but MAN, did I love this game. I can't even imagine how much time I spent playing it as a kid, and this was before the video game era.

It was pretty brilliant because you would roll the dice to see what happened next... and each player had a different set of dice combinations on the back. Like for Robin Yount, a roll of a 1 and a 2 would be a ground ball to the pitcher, but for Mike Schmidt it would be a triple to left. And double 6's would be a home run for anybody. Genius!

My only complaint was that there was too much offense. I guess it was more exciting that way, but not for kids like me who - get this - KEPT SCORE of the games I played against myself. On paper. I could barely get through three innings of those slugfests... home runs everywhere!

And that's not all. I've already blogged about my love of Battle Beasts. So get this - I drew my own baseball cards for my entire collection of Battle Beasts... and I copied over the dice charts from the regular baseball players... I think I even copied them by HAND onto the back of my BB cards. Then I would let them battle it out. I guess kids really have some time on their hands, huh? It's mind-boggling how much effort I put into that stuff.

Dreams and false alarms

2009-10-23T10:38:00.004-04:00

So Amelia (the movie) is coming out soon. I'm really excited about this. For one thing, I'd love to learn more about her story, and I think Hilary Swank is just perfectly cast for this (uncanny resemblance... great actress).

Now, our Amelia wasn't named after Amelia Earhart... or after the Joni Mitchell song (more on that in a sec)... but I think it's cool that she has such a strong, trailblazing woman as her namesake. Maybe if the movie is good, we'll get the poster to put up in her room someday. :)

Now for the song...

I'm being 100% serious when I say this is probably the greatest song I've ever heard. I can't imagine anything better. Just an absolute work of art. I don't know if I can express this very eloquently, but the songs that mean the most to me are often the ones that expose a contrast... the ones that bring things into focus. Somehow Joni takes the Amelia Earhart story and makes it the most exquisite parallels to our common spiritual hunger... the longing for something more.

In Joni's song, it's all "just a false alarm" - relationships, life ambition, spiritual seeking. "Like me, she had a dream to fly." Basically she uses Amelia's final flight to show the limitations of our own humanity... our mortality. It's sad enough to take the wind out of you. And it's a lot more intellectually honest than Lennon's "Imagine" (utopian nonsense, in my opinion).

But here's why I love, love, love it. I can totally relate to the "false alarms." I know all about human limitations. But my faith is one thing that will never be a false alarm. From the outside, it seems like it could be. But it's not. The glorious poetic sadness of this song puts it in sharp relief for me. As a Christian, I have the blessed assurance - of something beyond human limitations. Something bigger, something greater, and something that will always be true.

It's really quite a song. You should give it a listen if you have an extra 7 minutes. :)

...and I REALLY want to go here.

2009-10-16T11:01:00.002-04:00

I want to go here

2009-10-16T09:04:00.002-04:00

Heard Island, in the middle of nowhere, South Indian Ocean. It's between Madagascar and Antarctica, but closer to Antarctica. From what I read, it's an Australian territory, so the volcano's peak is considered Australia's point (over 9,000 feet - can you believe that?).

I've got a world map on my cube wall at work. One of my strange hobbies is looking up remote islands that catch my eye. There are a ton of them in the Pacific, of course, but I'm fascinated by the ones that are totally isolated... like Bouvet, between South America and Africa. If we do ever get to go to Hawaii, I think I'm going to love that part of it - being on an island chain in the middle of a gigantic ocean.

Oh, and then there's Pitcairn. It's a Pacific Island that was settled by the mutineers of the HMS Bounty (Mutiny on the Bounty). Now their descendants live there, on this tiny little island. Amazing story. One of these days I want to read Captain Cook's biography. Now that was an interesting life!

Fun with the g-parents!

2009-10-10T20:15:00.002-04:00

All the way through

2009-10-02T22:32:00.002-04:00

In the iTunes era, it's pretty rare that I listen to an album the old-fashioned way... all the way through. I get easily fed up with the album filler that I used to just accept as part of the experience. This can be a good or bad thing... one really nice result of this new way of listening is that it drives up the quality of what artists put out, because it's all about the individual song. On the other hand, you don't have the same sense of a cohesive, artistic whole like you did with an entire album.

Here are three albums that, against the odds, I prefer to listen to the old-school way - track 1 through the end. What are yours?

Punk'd

2009-09-30T23:04:00.003-04:00

Just for fun, here's a comparison of a Hideous Kids song... and then how Lyster Lower reinvented it. (HK is my hometown garage band, and LL was the ska/punk band I was in in college.)

First up, Cicadas of '97 by Hideous Kids:

Now you can see what Lyster Lower did with it. I remember us talking about covering the song, but the guys thought the lyrics were pretty stupid (which, of course, they are). So they redid it punk-style... and they changed everything except the melody and "Congratulations" in the chorus. I was gone at the time, so I got to hear the recording later. I like their take on it!

GOOD merengue!

2009-09-30T18:58:00.003-04:00

Juan Luis Guerra - Las Avispas. I'm so glad our friends in the D.R. introduced us to merengue! I just love it. Check out the section that starts around 2:19. Brilliant!

From today's commute...

2009-09-28T20:44:00.002-04:00

I've been on a musicals kick lately. I guess it started with a stretch of movie musicals in our Netflix queue and just went from there. Hopefully Amelia has enjoyed all the high drama during our past few commutes. I definitely have my favorites (Les Mis, Wicked, White Christmas) and my not-so-favorites (Rent, most of Aida).

Today I was making my way through the epicness that is Les Mis... man, I would love to play Javert someday, like in a community theater production. (Now that I think about it, Amelia could be young Cosette. Perfect!) I don't know why, but I love villains in musicals. Javert is the inspector that's chasing down Jean Valjean for his past crimes. Javert is a cool character because he really wants righteousness; he just has no concept of mercy. He can't accept it. And his view of law is so uncompromising that it eventually drives him into madness. Here's his showstopper, "Stars."

So what's your fave musical? I'd love to know some suggestions, because there are plenty I haven't seen!

U.K. 2007!

2009-09-19T21:36:00.030-04:00

Here we go - another trip down memory lane!

We began our trip on Marta - thanks to the Wyatts for dropping us off!

Victoria Station, our introduction to London.

Buckingham Palace, Changing of the Guard.

Some people were very determined to see it.

Buckingham Palace.

Beautiful Hyde Park, on our walk from Buckingham Palace to our hotel. I had thought it would be a fun way to see the park and save $ on doing the Underground. Since we were carrying all our stuff, though, it became a bit tedious. OK, a lot tedious. But it was beautiful! (And we ended up getting a day pass on the Underground anyway. Oops.)

Westminster Abbey.

Big Ben.

The Thames and the London Eye.

The Tower Bridge (being raised for a passing ship).

Julie on the Millennium Bridge (with St. Paul's Cathedral).

We saw "Wicked" at the Apollo Victoria - amazing!

Breakfast in Russell Square.

The British Museum.

Amazing collection from Egypt and Assyria.

London street scene (and a very inviting pub).

Trafalgar Square.

Walking through St. James Park.

"LON-don!!!"

Walking over the Thames toward the London Eye.

On the Eye.

We used the Underground to get just about everywhere. I can't say enough good things about it. The U.K. must have the world's finest transportation system!

The famous Abbey Road crosswalk.

Julie headed to Hogwarts (King's Cross station).

King's Cross station, on our way north to Scotland.

We had an 8-day BritRail pass, which we used every single day. It was perfect!

Our friends Sterling and Catriona live in Stirling, Scotland. We stayed with them four nights throughout the trip. We are very grateful for their hospitality! This is the view from their dining room table.

On the train to Glenfinnan, through the spectacular highland scenery.

The dining room at the Glenfinnan House Hotel, where we had a very proper Scottish breakfast the next day.

We took a cruise on Loch Shiel. It was gorgeous!

We saw the Jacobite steam train crossing over the viaduct (which was made famous by Harry Potter).

Our hotel.

Warming up by the fire.

Bloomin' heather.

The viaduct. We took a walking path that followed the stream up into the hills.

St. Mary and St. Finnan's Church, Glenfinnan.

After two train rides, a ferry from Oban to Craignure, a bus from Craignure to Fionnphort, and then one more ferry, we made it to Iona! This is our room at the Iona Hostel, which was wonderful.

The view from the hostel's common room.

The Iona Hostel. We loved this place!

The north shore of Iona, near the hostel.

One of the hostel's friendly goats. This guy followed us to the gate to say goodbye.

Pastoral beauty on Iona.

Iona Abbey - we made it to part of the morning service.

Walking to Dun I, the highest point on the island.

Dun I summit.

You can see the hostel below.

Iona harbor.

Iona from Fionnphort, after we took the ferry back to Mull.

In Oban, we got fish and chips to go and carried them on the train. So delicious!

"When you in-vest... tuppence... in a bank account."

Mike's old dorm room in Aberdeen. It was looking a little worse for wear (probably about to be torn down and rebuilt).

Here's where the phone booths stood where I used to call Julie.

Seaton Park, walking toward campus.

King's chapel, where I used to go to church.

Actual size...

William Wallace statue and His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen.

Union Street, Aberdeen.

Edinburgh street scene.

Greyfriars Bobby statue in Edinburgh. Greyfriars Bobby was a faithful dog who stayed by his master's grave for 14 years.

Edinburgh Castle, from the roof of the Museum of Scotland.

Inside Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh's New Town.

The Royal Mile.

The William Wallace Monument, Stirling.

Inside the Wallace Monument.

One of our favorite signs.

The Wallace Monument and the Auld Brig (below), from Stirling Castle.

We took the sleeper train back to London, then caught our British Airways flight back home. Special thanks to Beth and Buck for picking us up at the airport!

Wild Pony Paradise (May 2007)

2009-09-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics from our backpacking trip over Memorial Day weekend 2007. We were on the Appalachian Trail in southern Virginia - Mt. Rogers and Grayson Highlands. Incredible scenery, and a great adventure all around!

At the trailhead on Whitetop Mountain.

During this wooded section, we started to see evergreens - the Canadian-style forest of the Appalachian highlands.

A nice grassy spot.

It was an interesting scene at VA 600 - riders on horseback, bikers, backpackers, a Dalmatian and some cows.

I had always wanted to cross a road on the AT...

Entering cow country... but no close encounters this time. :)

One of many cool rock blazes.

The Thomas Knob shelter - our destination for the night.

Our new tent from REI, and our quiet, Christmasy campsite.

Jamaican jerk chicken and Crystal Light for dinner. Mmm...

On top of Mt. Rogers, highest point in VA, at 8:00 at night.

On the way to get water the next morning. The spring was in the fenced-off area - quite a view!

Looking back at our campsite, near the trail sign.

Mmm... spring water.

Awesome alpine trail after leaving the shelter.

Looking back at Mt. Rogers from a gnarly rock outcropping.

Our first view of the Grayson Highlands wild ponies!

Incredible views!

And fun hiking.

Animal encounter! This snake was crossing the trail at the same time Julie walked by. It was obviously as terrified as we were, because it went the other way as soon as I tried to get around it. We still have no idea what kind it is.

A close-up of its gnarliness.

The snake and Julie... so you can see how far she ran. :)

They introduced these ponies to keep the vegetation down in the park.

Delectable salmon sandwiches back at Judy and Tom's. Life is good!

On the Roan (May 2006)

2009-09-16T22:05:00.013-04:00

I've been e-mailing with a friend about the Appalachian Trail, and it occurred to me that I didn't have easy access to our backpacking trip blogs. This one was on Kodak Gallery, and our Virginia trip was on our old MySpace blog. So I thought I'd copy and paste them here - both for a trip down memory lane and to save them for posterity.

So this first one is from Memorial Day 2006. It was our first backpacking trip together. We hiked from Carver's Gap to Highway 19E, along the TN/NC border. This is the Roan Mountain area, with probably the most spectacular scenery of the southern AT (maybe even the whole thing). About half of it is up on the balds (treeless summits), so you get 360-degree views... and we lucked out with absolutely perfect weather.

I was definitely nervous leading up to the hike - about thunderstorms, and managing my diabetes out in the wilderness. But I'm telling you, it was such a thrill to step through that first turnstile and see our first white blaze! Backpacking is probably one of the greatest things Julie and I have ever done together. It's hard work, but what a payoff! And there's something about making it through, feeling that sense of accomplishment, experiencing it all together that is profoundly cool.

In a few days I'll post our trip from May 2007 - the AT in southern Virginia. Who knows, maybe someday I'll do the same for our UK adventure.

Without further ado, here we go - Roan Highlands 2006!

At the Carver's Gap trailhead.

Julie and Round Bald.

Rhododendrons, only a couple of weeks away from blooming. Fraser firs (Christmas trees) in the background on Roan High Knob.

Julie on the AT... in the spruce/fir forest.

Mike on Round Bald.

Julie on Round Bald.

Looking toward Jane Bald. Little Hump and Hump Mountain in the distance.

Engine Gap and Jane Bald.

Mike at the Grassy Ridge junction, looking back to Jane Bald, Round Bald and Roan High Knob.

Wooded trail on the shoulder of Grassy Ridge.

Stan Murray Shelter. We met a group from Roswell while we rested here.

Nice flat stretch on the way to Yellow Mountain Gap.

Blue-blazed side trail at Yellow Mountain Gap, leading to the shelter. The Overmountain Men came across this gap during the Revolutionary War to win a key battle against the British.

Coming up to the Overmountain Shelter - a converted barn.

Thanks to Tom for letting us borrow the tent!

Filtering water from the spring. It was delicious - and cold!

Nice, laid-back atmosphere at camp. There were probably 8 or 9 tents in all.

The next morning - the barn from the trail to Little Hump Mountain.

Out of the trees, looking up at Little Hump.

View below Little Hump.

Summit of Little Hump. Big Hump looming on the horizon.

Beautiful views from the summit of Little Hump.

Bradley Gap and Hump Mountain. Long way up!

Heading up Hump. The grade was incredible... and much less oxygen than we're used to!

Pasture fence at the false summit.

Final stretch. Julie venturing forth as I gasp for air.

Summit of Hump Mountain, looking east into NC.

Happy Tiemanns on Hump Mountain.

View south - Little Hump, Yellow Mountain and Grassy Ridge.

Julie on Houston Ridge, Hump Mountain.

Pasture fence and Hump Mountain. We didn't see the cows we had heard about on the ridge... but we would soon enough.

Animal encounter! We're not sure why these cows were in the middle of these steep woods, but there was a group of about six or seven (including calves) that blocked our path. The mama was pawing the ground and snorting at us, but we tried sweet-talking them and eventually they got off the trail enough for us to pass.

Pasture fence and blaze at Doll Flats.

Feels good...

Beautiful woods below Doll Flats.

Spectacular woods and cliffs.

Cool bridge before the Apple House Shelter.

Apple House Shelter, not far from the road.

Crossing the rushing creek just before Highway 19E. We made it!

Eight years ago...

2009-09-14T21:22:00.002-04:00

Julie and I got married. Eight years of wedded bliss! How lucky am I?

Efficiency

2009-09-02T17:04:00.002-04:00

You know one of the 10 billion reasons I love working for North Point? It's a big one... efficiency. Let me explain.

The day before Lily was born, I had grand plans of finishing well at work. I was going to get my desk cleaned up, load the computers for the next couple of weeks, just in general get life buttoned up in case the baby made a surprise early appearance (which, of course, she did). And the thing is, I did NOT finish up at work. Not even close. The stomach bug and fever hit me like a truck that day, and I was absolutely worthless. All I could do was lie in the fetal position on a couch in an uninhabited office. Eventually I staggered out to my desk, grabbed what I could think to grab, and drove home. (Still not sure how I made it home, actually.)

I'm a guy who likes to have things in order, and I know this was a good lesson that life doesn't always work out according to plan. Still, that didn't change the fact that everything at work was a MESS. Well, I sent an e-mail to my fantastic co-workers, trying to remember everything I had left undone, asking them to check on that stuff if they got a free moment. Within an hour, I got e-mails from all of them, responding to every point in my long e-mail, dividing it all up, getting it done. Amazing. Emily, Bethany and Jill - these guys are the real deal. Then I find out today that Miranda stayed late to dismantle all the DJ booths. We're talking serious manual labor!

But that's not all. My laptop power cord died yesterday. The geniuses of IT, besides being geniuses, are so dedicated and helpful that they've created a live chat feature so you can always talk to someone in real time. I get on there this morning, explain the situation, and this afternoon I stop by the offices to get a new one. Easy as that. Didn't have to wait until I was back in the office, or even wait for an e-mail response. Totally easy and instantaneous.

So those are just two examples of why I love this place. When you put a really talented group of people together who truly care about their jobs, it shows. Everyone can see the excellence that happens on Sunday mornings, but just as important is the motivation I see every day, where people give everything they've got to maximize every opportunity. It's in the DNA of the place. And I love it!

I love the Internet

2009-08-29T09:42:00.004-04:00

Photo: Jeff Kruys

Have you ever wondered what Paramaribo, Suriname is like? Or French Guiana? I sure have. And it just so happens that Jeff Kruys of crazyguyonabike.com (my fave Web site) is there right now. He's traveled all the way from the Arctic Ocean to the tip of Tierra del Fuego, and now he's on his way back north. Unbelievable.

These crazyguy pages are perfect when you want something to look at for a few minutes... like in between baby feedings. Just Google "crazyguyonabike" and any city you're interested in. Great pics and stories, and the interactions are fascinating because it's all from the speed of a bike (not a car). Plus, the site is designed so simply that it's easy to read and follow. Check out Jeff K.'s site - he is the man!

My new favorite song

2009-08-17T17:34:00.002-04:00

Here's the Jack White/Alicia Keys theme song for Quantum of Solace, the most recent Bond movie. I wish I could say I loved the movie, but WOW - what a song! Amelia likes it too. She was bobbing and weaving as the credits rolled. :)

It wasn't a bad movie or anything, just kind of pointless. Seems like they're well aware of what a masterpiece Casino Royale was (it's in my all-time Top 5, for real!)... so they didn't even try to compete. Instead it's like an extended conclusion after CR left off. Bond is still completely in love with Vesper, so he spends the movie going through the motions, trying to deny the regret and betrayal he feels. Which is all well and good and consistent with his character, but it doesn't make a very compelling story. Instead we get a new Bond girl who isn't a love interest or anything - she's just sort of there. No one really knows why.

I did think the Haiti scenes were really cool...

But about the song, it really does fit the "trust no one" theme of the movie. And I just love how it sounds... like the speakers can't contain it... like it's maxed out the digital limits.

Any suggestions?

2009-08-08T19:55:00.003-04:00

We have three or four front-runners for the new baby girl's name, but so far none of them are a sure thing. Do you have any name ideas we should consider? I mean, besides the ones in the Zuzanna poll. Many thanks!

Apparently Bob Dylan reads my blog

2009-08-06T22:37:00.002-04:00

because on Tuesday night, in Round Rock, TX, Charlie Sexton joined the band on guitar! Charlie played with Bob in the early '00s, back when we saw them in Birmingham and they rocked the place to its foundations. You can't hear much in this video, but it's cool to see!

Apparently it was a one-night spontaneous thing, but man - exactly what this band needs!

Orphan Girl

2009-08-02T20:16:00.002-04:00

I finally got around to hearing "Wrecking Ball" by Emmylou Harris - her acclaimed mid-'90s album with Daniel Lanois. Lanois is known for his distinctive swampy/atmospheric sound on records by U2 and Dylan (all of which I love). "Wrecking Ball" is as great as everyone says it is. And it has a beautiful version of this Gillian Welch song, "Orphan Girl." Here's Gillian Welch singing it. I love this stuff!

B-day concert

2009-07-30T23:20:00.004-04:00

We're home from the big Dylan concert in Alpharetta. I thought I'd write down some thoughts as I unwind. :) I have to say, that Verizon amphitheater is NICE. Really great venue. It's like Chastain, but sparkly and new. And it certainly is nice to be home 10 minutes after the show ended!

First... Willie.

Willie was first up. We got there midway through his set. Wow, his voice sounded GREAT! I was also quite impressed that he was the only guitarist in his band. He took all the solos, and he really held it up on his own. He played lots of crowd-pleasing hits and just seemed happy to be there. He threw his bandana into the crowd at least twice. Without the bandana, I thought he looked a lot like the evil king in Braveheart... you know, Longshanks. But a friendly version.

Mellencamp...

Mellencamp was up next. He definitely had the crowd - he was the hit of the night. The band was rockin' and he seemed to genuinely enjoy himself on stage. I went through a brief Mellencamp phase in college, and tonight he got me excited about some of those songs again. "Rain on the Scarecrow" was GREAT!

Dylan!

Then it was the man - Dylan! First of all, it's always a total thrill and honor to see him play. I was surprised by the set list - almost all from this decade, but yet only one song from his new album. And he picked some really challenging, dark songs too ("Ain't Talkin'," "High Water"). I really enjoyed the rearrangement of "Hard Rain," and of course he played "Don't Think Twice." He's played that at all four concerts I've been to!

It's funny - I always enjoy his newest material because it's best suited to his, uh, enigmatic voice. But I'm always hoping for a surprise from the past (let's say something in the realm of possibility, like "Every Grain of Sand" or "Not Dark Yet"). Well, this concert had a lot of modern stuff that I enjoyed... I just wish he'd played some more from the new album. Favorites were probably "Tweedle Dee" and "Po Boy" - cool new arrangements of both.

Now, about the band. There are THREE guitarists, not counting Bob (who played guitar on the first two songs). I really think Bob needs to get back to basics. With that many people playing at once, you just get this wall of sound. And the thing about these guys - that they don't seem to particularly care what they're doing. It's all business. So you have this massive amount of mediocrity at once, where no one's really playing anything interesting. Bob is always interesting to watch, but I think he needs a fresh start for his supporting cast. Players who can push him, like Campbell/Sexton back in the early '00s.

Here's my suggestion: Bob on guitar... with ONE sympathetic guitarist, who can carry lead when needed... and bass and drums. Like this (from 1998): (Edit - I forgot he had the pedal steel guy in this band too. But you get the idea.)

Bravo, Bob - always great to see him in concert. BIG thanks to my parents for the tickets!!

Poll results and more

2009-07-27T22:20:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I blogged (a.k.a. talked to myself). Lots going on these days - getting ready for the new bebe, Amelia's birthday, starting a new freelance writing project, and also in the midst of one of our busiest seasons at work. But it's a great kind of busy!

The results are in from those polls - thanks for your participation. :) Chick-fil-A dominated the fast food contest, as expected, but I was intrigued by a surprise vote for Burger King. I'm not gonna lie, I've got a soft spot for a Whopper meal with Sprite. Fond memories from stopping in Yreka, CA on the way up to college. It was the perfect lunch spot on that long road north.

In-N-Out got a write-in vote, and that's basically the only thing that could beat out Chick-fil-A in my book. On one of our week vacations to CA, Julie and I went to In-N-Out three times... or enough to try everything on the menu (including shake flavors!). Needless to say, this was before the diabetes days. But on the CFA subject, Julie and I keep saying we need to write a blog entry about our love for the place. It's the perfect fast food cycle... lots of customers, so the food is super-fresh, so it stays super-popular... and so the food is consistently awesome. Plus, they're just a great company. We heart Chick-fil-A!

If it sounds like I care a lot about this subject, I most definitely do. I used to keep a mental list as a pudgy boy of whose fries were the best (ranked, of course). Who knows, maybe I even wrote out the list. I would get inordinately excited about a Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger. So there you have it.

In other news, Zuzanna was the winner of our name poll, and so we eagerly await her arrival! I still can't believe Tissiack got no love (it was the original name of Half Dome in Yosemite, in case you're wondering).

I'll sign off with one of the greatest musical moments of all time (I really need to stop calling everything the greatest... but, well, it's really up there) - Allegro from Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14. In college, I was the kid who attended the Friday night recitals even though I had no connection to the music department. I may have been lame, but I got acquainted with some seriously fabulous music! Enjoy... and watch out for 5:15... I call it transcendent.

Which fast food?

2009-07-16T21:07:00.001-04:00

Road trip - what fast food are you on the lookout for?(opinion)

Just thinking of a series of dreams

2009-07-15T21:40:00.002-04:00

Fantastic song - and it never made it onto the album (so Dylanesque).

"The cards are no good that you're holding
Unless they're from another world."

Beautiful!

2009-07-12T19:49:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a voice. James Taylor with an incredible group of musicians... singing "Hard Times Come Again No More." Written by Stephen Foster in 1854. Timeless!

Wheeeeeee!

2009-07-10T13:26:00.002-04:00

So I've been riding the diabetes rollercoaster lately. It's difficult to face this, because I've pretty much been smooth and steady ever since my diagnosis in 2004. Without a doubt, God has given me the courage and peace to face this that I never would have had on my own. Not only that, I am so grateful that the insulin has worked over the years. I don't ever want to take that for granted.

I also believe that He gave me this meticulous personality partly so I could handle the micromanaging that you have to do with this disease. And it's been very freeing to NOT have to micromanage it as much in recent years. I've been in a pretty good groove... getting excellent results on my blood tests (A1Cs)... and really only checking my blood sugar once at night, to make sure I was low enough to have dessert.

My latest A1C, taken a few weeks ago, was 6.3. Good, but not great. The target is under 6.5, but I had been consistently under 6 for years. Then this last week happened. Our vacation that never was. The closet shelf collapses. Amelia gets sick. We're up all night with her. The 283 you see above is from Wednesday afternoon... after I got home from work. My stress level was through the roof, and I had felt awful all morning. I apologize to anyone who I came in contact with that day! 283 is a shocking number, because I'm supposed to be between 70 and 140. I'm ALWAYS between 70 and 140.

Now I've been checking continuously throughout each day, just like when I was diagnosed. Sure enough, my morning blood sugar has been in the mid-100s. It should be under 120. So I've been raising my dose of Lantus (24-hour insulin), unit by unit, each day. The goal is to get that morning number under 120. If I can do that, that should be the key. I can always fine-tune the adjustments to my eating and short-term insulin if I need to.

So it looks like I'm starting in on a new chapter here. Time to micromanage a bit more. Time to de-stress, for sure. I think my body just reached a breaking point or something. Diabetes is not something to mess around with, and I'm not going to let it get out of control.

Oh, and I'm going to start going to a new doctor in October. I'm tired of leaving messages for nurses who never respond. I need real medical care, not an office that's too busy for me.

New chapter... gonna get this figured out. God is faithful. And a positive attitude is essential in this!