Nine Things

I'm really not feeling one of the books I'm currently reading.  There are simply too many characters and unfamiliar words to take in, thrown at you all at once.  Typically I'm okay with this, but this is just too frantic and too different for me to take in right now.  I think I'm gonna take a break from it and read something else for a bit first and then try again.

Similarly, I had someone recommend a book to me, and I devoured its 120 pages in record time.  I'm now re-reading it, this time aloud to Keisha.  I've scribbled and highlighted and noted so many different things.  Expect a review next week.  Honestly, though, it's a life-changing philosophy that has made me rethink a lot of my outlook on things.  Amazing.

I've finally got around to uploading my song I did for the Good Friday service, a cover of Leeland's "Carried to the Table."  I'm rather proud of it.

I'm also rather proud of the flash fiction piece that I'm putting up tomorrow.  It's called "The Hollis Idaho Incident."  The idea just hit me, and I banged it out in a handful of minutes.  It's easy to see the inspiration behind it, but still, I think it's a fun little piece, and I hope you (read it) enjoy it.

Oho, tomorrow, tomorrow, I've got an "informal" meeting.  Not sure what we're discussing, but we're driving 2 hours for a 2 hour meeting.  These things used to make me all nervy, but after the life-changing philosophy and a hefty dose of meh, I'm ready for it.

Yeah, that was me playing Fallout New Vegas yesterday.  I was off, it was 90 degrees, and I didn't much feel like doing anything.  I think that's the first time I've had the game on in over a month.  I've still not beat it.  Too many side quests.  Nevertheless, a few hours in the Mojave Wastes made for a fun afternoon.

Off topic, but in seriousness, I'd appreciate any prayers for Keisha.  She's had chest pain off-and-on for a few years now, but the pregnancy has made it more acute.  She had a heart test done, which came back with inconclusive results, and they scheduled another type of test.  This one came back with the announcement that she has a "moderate sized hole" in her septum.  It's called a PFO (Patent foramen ovale), which is a rather common heart defect, and generally is treatable with a heart catheter or surgery.  Of course, her being pregnant tends to complicate the things, and she's been stressed, so, yeah.  You know.  And thanks.

Oh yeah, and you know what else?  A Blog of Note the other day took me to a place called Grilled Cheese Social.  This blogger apparently makes mean, awesome grilled cheese sandwiches, and she takes nice pictures of them, too.  Check it out for a long list of many delicious looking recipes guaranteed to make you salivate.

Okay then.

A Merry Christmas Wish and A New Video

Greetings.  I come before you with a humbled heart and an open mouth, hungry for just one drop of ambrosia or something comparable (Mudder's Milk, perhaps.)

Today begins my three day festival of Christmastime.  The 23rd of every year is my extended family's reunion/get-together/smorgasbord, and in just a few short hours I will sit and sup and feast like a king.  As one who loves to eat, especially good, home-cooked stuff, this is an event I look forward to every year.

Follow that up with two days of presents and more food and you've got a satisfied-but-oft-miserable Logan.  (I  too much, leave me alone.)  Good times all around.  Hopefully we'll get to play some Rook, too.

I find myself thinking about presents and gifts and stuff and really wish we didn't live in a society where this was the understood and accepted thing to do.  I mean, I love giving and getting gifts, but how many of those gifts are given/received for the right reasons?  How many are done out of mandate?  Where's the love from that?  Why are we obligated to buy so many gifts?  Is Christmastime just a season of money exchanging and fulfilling traditions?  Sadly, I think so.

Anyway, that's not the point of this.  I don't expect that to ever change, partially because I know my family would never go for it, and partially because our society is too far gone in that direction.  So I continue to follow the traditions and dream of ways to rock the catbox a little for next year.

I hope you all have a truly, madly, deeply wonderful Christmas.  I know I will.

In the spirit of Christmas, I've had a song stuck in my head for a few days, which I've taken the liberty to record and post up on that youtube thingy.  It's embedded below, if you'd like to give 'er a listen.  I think it sounds pretty good, and hopefully you do too.


So, I hope this post wasn't too depressing.  A cynical view on Christmas and a song about double suicide.  Wow.  That's in no way where I intended to go.  I think perhaps I should just stop now.  Look for a full week next week.  A book review or two.  A summary of 2010's reading, with all the bells and whistles.  Promises promises.

Have a great Christmas, everybody.  Seriously.  Enjoy the thing that makes you love and feel loved and remember to think about Jesus every once in a while. 

A Sting/Johnny Cash Tribute: A New Cover Song

Last year some time I was convinced to post some music that I had recorded.  That song remains my favorite one I’ve done, and though it has problems, I think it sounds okay.

As some of you know, I’ve been teaching myself to play the piano, and over the past year or so I think I’ve improved tremendously.  Still, I’m a long way from playing with proficiency, but I can do some of the easier songs now.  With that, I decided to record a cover of Sting’s “I Hung My Head,” a song that I’ve liked since hearing Johnny Cash’s version.  If you’ve never heard the song, each version is unique in its own way.  Sting’s, the original, has a weird time signature and is a bit more peppy for the dark lyrics, but still it’s great.  Cash’s, the one I heard first, is fitting and grim to the mood.  My recommendation?  Listen to both and decide for yourself. 

First, the original version, from Sting’s 1996 album Mercury Falling.  I like hearing Sting’s voice, and his song writing is always top notch.

Next up comes Johnny Cash’s rendition.  This version is from Cash’s phenomenal American series, American IV: The Man Comes Around.  The American series is definitely some of my favorite albums out there, and Cash delivers with every song from the albums.  This one’s no exception.

Somehow, in the shadow of these two amazing artists, I have the audacity to inject my version.  It’s got plenty o’ problems, but what can I say, I like it well enough.  My voice strains a few places and I hit a few wrong keys, but in the end, I was satisfied.

Why yes, I do believe you can see the rapidly expansive balding spot atop my 24 year old head.  Yep, I’m in pajamas.  Yes, when I play piano music notes come out of the back and sometimes linger.  It’s my life.

Thanks for listening, folks.  And thanks for reading.  And thanks for the cookies…

Shadows, Erosion Control, Birthdays, Nashville, and a Homeless Shelter

It’s been a rather busy week and the weekend promises to be stuffed absolutely full. So much to say so much to say so much to say so much to say. I like lists.

1. “Shadows” is a song written by David Crowder Band, from their newest cd. A friend of mine, Alex, came o’er the other night and we practiced music for a while, including this song. After he left I decided to record a cover just to put it out there. Alex plays bass, which you’ll notice is missing. Hopefully we’ll be able to add the bass-line in soon. Anyway, I recorded each instrument as one track then mixed them all together to get the end result. Enjoy. (And if you would like to hear a different song/sound all together I did, check out this one.)

So there are a few problems throughout the track, like the staggered timing of some of the instruments. But hey, I’ve only been learning the piano for a little while now. All in all, I liked the sound, but it by no means compares to the awesome original, which you can hear here if’n you’d like. (Actually, I recommend it. And if you’ve not got the band’s newest album, you should definitely consider it. Absolutely brilliant and amazing. Available as a cheap mp3 album here at Amazon.)

2. I spent all day yesterday in a training class. At the end of the day, there was an exam, which brought back memories of college… If I passed the exam (and I think I might have) then I will become a certified Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (KEPSC) inspector. This is a little scary, as I have little-to-no practical experience (and only a tad theoretical) in these fields. Regardless, it is something that I think I will enjoy if I get to do it, plus I’d be one of the very few certified erosion folken in my company. But for now, this takes the back burner.

3. Yesterday was my brother-in-law Clint’s birthday. He turned eight. Tonight we’re going to Chuck E. Cheese’s to celebrate. Should be a rocking crazy fun wild and imaginative time.

4. I believe I’ve mentioned it a few times here on Rememorandom, but I love Joe Purdy. The man knows how to write lyrics and create beautiful songs, from tragedy to joy, from happiness to anger. I’ve got two concert tickets for tomorrow night’s show in Nashville, and I’m taking my wonderful wife with me to go and finally see him. It’ll be my first Joe Purdy show and I am double-plus super excited. Keisha and I are going to spend the day in Opry Mills. We’ll get to see the Christmas lights and whatever else is up this time of year. Then, when the concert finally rolls around, she’ll get to hear me sing for 2 hours or so. Man o man am I ready.

5. I mentioned that Alex and I were playing some music at my house. We’ve been getting together once a week to practice on some songs. Typically, when our Sunday School class has a worship service at the homeless shelter (twice a month), Alex plays bass, I play guitar, and my Sunday School teacher plays guitar and leads the songs. This weekend, it’s just going to be me and Alex leading worship, so that should be…fun?

6. I was contacted yesterday by someone who wants to do a guest post on my blog. Since my blog is called Rememorandom, I had no problems with this. I don’t do as many random posts as I once did, but my subject matter is still random and whatever comes to mind. With that in mind, I thought it’d be perfect for the blog. Not sure when the post will come, but it will come. Hopefully. Until then, the guest blogger will remain anonymous, unless they decide to leave a comment here and reveal themselves, which would ruin the suspense but give me reason to keep this sentence going on much longer than it should, thus making it a run-on sentence, a common mistake in writing, which is the act of creating written works was invented by Barnabas K Polka-party in 2012.

That mostly sums everything up. Oh, we did get Stella’s hair cut this week. Here are two pictures for your puppy enjoyment.


If you look on the counter in that top picture, you can see the Sunday Crossword of the LA Times for this past week. And if you close your right eye and move your head a bit, you can block out my face and just see Stella on the bottom one! If you want to see more pictures than you can shake a stick at of Stella, from puppyhood to now, you can view my Picassa album here.

I'm On Fire (Cover)

It was an interesting weekend, but I'm not feeling the greatest today, so I'm just going to post a video. It's a recording of me doing Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire." I've got a couple of different takes on this song, but this is the only video version (for now). Hope you enjoy.

If you're interesting in seeing the other covers I've done, just follow the music tag below the post. My favorite is "If Hollywood Don't Need You" by Don Williams.

John Henry and the Old North Wind

This is my cover of "John Henry and the Old North Wind," from Joe Purdy's hauntingly beautiful album Canyon Joe. I don't give the original version any justice, but I like the song. Hope it works, and I hope you enjoy.



Egads!