Midnight Turkey

So Leah's mum gave us a turkey on Sunday. I've been waiting to eat it, but Leah insisted that we thaw it naturally. Which takes time...

A lot...of freakin' time...

But today it was nice and ready! She put it in the oven around 5:00PM when we got off work. And in the oven it sat...until a few minutes ago. So tonight, at 12:08AM--I ate two delicious turkey sandwiches. Seriously, they were good. The meat is falling off the carcass (or so Leah tells me, I'm afraid cooking turkeys is too much like those nasty frog dissections in High School biology for my delicate sensibilities).

Anyway, it was a long wait...but we have meat. Oh yes! WE HAVE MEAT!!! Turkey 'till X-Mas!!!! YES.








If I look a little bleary-eyed (and naked) it's because I am. Both.

"Holiday Bush"

Me and Leah are a zany, mix-matched couple. And as such, we can't agree on ANYTHING!!!

*Old-School Laugh-track*

Case in point: This Sunday is Chaunnakhahahas (which Leah celebrates). And I was born in a Hallmark Home, so I've always had Christmas trees (and Kwanzaa candles). What are we to do? She's a Jew, and I'm a Jason-ite.

The answer is compromise my friends. Behold! The Holiday Bush!!!









Yes folks, snowmen are holiday-neutral...and it may be hard to tell, but that's a Wookie warrior at the top.

The "blahs" turn into "fuck you, go away world"

Who'd have thought that 18 degree temperatures and trouble at the office would SOUR my mood? Things have not gotten better. Last weekend was fun, but it was only a brief respite from the horror that is my life.

Ugh.

The only positive thing I can report is that I'm working out every day--which is making my feel physically better.

My workplace has degenerated into a quagmire, one where I spend 1/2 my time arguing what the definition of "bill of lading" is. Or where I engage in 20 minute battles over the professional aesthetics of a free wall calendar. These things make me want to puke, but I don't dare because it's like 50 degrees in the office. Thankfully, the rats seem to have vanished with the onset of snow. One can only hope those fuzzy bastards have succumbed to the weather, and are in a better place (i.e. not here).

I'm going to try and work on some writing tonight, because work of that nature usually cheers me up. Anyway, that is what's up with me--hostility at work, stress, and the hope that all those rats are dead.

Back in STL-Land; Post-Oasis Wrap-Up

Back home in STL. Oh man, am I tired.

Yesterday was hard. Yesterday was awesome.

We got out on the road around 11:30AM. Using magic internet directions, we had no real difficulty finding Chicago (kinda hard to miss) or the venue--the AllState Arena in Rosemont. Okay, we DID have to stop and ask for directions once (we were on the right street, heading the wrong way....we corrected our mistake, but wanted to be 100% sure).

Got to the "arena" early, at 5:30.

The Allstate Arena was NOTHING like either of us expected. I was expecting a venue like STL's Saavis Center (whatever they're calling it now) or something like what's downtown in KC (what is that thing called? The Sprint Center???). This place looked like a skating rink. It looked like a movie theatre. It was very small.

At first we were pissed, then we thought: "Wait. This is a GOOD thing!!!"

It was. Our seats were kick-ass, leftside of the stage...lower-level. Having gotten their so early, we were able to kick back and relax. At 7:00, Matt Costa took the stage. It was an unplugged set, with just guitars. It was alright. I have Costa's first album, but not his most recent one. He's a singer-songwriter guy, in the vein of Jack Johnson. The placed filled up (mostly, it wasn't quite a sell out) and around 8:30 Ryan Adams and the Cardinals came out. I like Adams a lot, but I only have one of his records, 2003's ROCK 'N ROLL (which, by the way, f-ing rules). That album was hard-rock, and was a bit of a departure from the indie-rock/country that he normally puts out. The Cardinals were a tight band, and sounded great.

Oasis came out around 9:30--and they were awesome. Though they looked much shorter in person. Liam was wearing this rad coat and was rockin' a pretty cool tambourine. They opened with "Rock 'n Roll Star," which was great. Me and Amber both were amazed at how good they sounded live (we had been worried about their sound quality prior to the show). The only song I wanted to hear was "The Masterplan" and when they busted that out--I was in hog heaven. For the most part they played stuff off their first three albums, with some new stuff off DIG OUT YOUR SOUL thrown in. Amber was sad they didn't play much off HEATHEN CHEMISTRY (other than "Songbird") but if you were an Oasis fan, you were pretty happy with the setlist (i.e. they played all the hits). I can now say that I've sung "Wonderwall" with a 5,000 people. What more can you ask for?

The show ended around 11:00PM (which, for those keeping score--means the show was an hour SHORTER than the DRIVE out to Chicago). We got in the car, and I promptly drove us home. Actually, it wasn't that prompt. In fact, it kinda sucked and I had to turn around once when I took a wrong turn because I was so tired.

But I maned up and drove the whole way home. Oh, and I listened to the new Alannis Morrissette album FLAVORS OF ENTANGELMENT (which I am ashamed to say is great). This admission is, of course, a private joke I have with Leah's sister--but nonetheless true.

We got home around 4:30AM, I was crazy-tired. But the 10 hours driving was worth it, because the concert was great.

The End.

(What's the Story) Morning Glory?

It's Saturday...time again for another long nerd-essay about a great album from the past!!! Last week I took a dark (and twisted) journey into the mind of Alice Cooper...this weekend I'm in Chicago seeing Brit-Rockers Oasis with my sister Amber. In celebration of this historic, monumental, occasion I'm talking Oasis this weekend.

The most famous Oasis album, the most well know, the most overplayed, the most sing-a-long-able...(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? was (and still is) a titanic achievement of brash bravado and good old-fashioned working-class elbow grease. So sit back and enjoy another installment of Classic Albums Revisited:

Something interesting happens when you play (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? You pop it in and press play--a the faint opening of the single "Wonderwall" begins...before being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of guitar ushering in "Hello" (which is the albums true first track). I've heard the reason this happens is because the band wanted to trick listeners expecting the hit song into cranking the volume up: thus getting konked on the head by "Hello." This bit of trickery, on the band's second album, is evidence that even in the early days--Oasis had both balls and little regard for the record buying public.

(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? is both loved and hated worldwide. Beatles rip-off? Not as good as Blur? Self indulgent? People can say a lot of negative things about this record (and every other Oasis album), but one charge that just won't stick is "boring." MORNING GLORY? is a varied, well-produced album by a hungry young band eager to prove their brash boasts. The fact that this album was a MONSTER hit back in 1995, and yet you can hardly spend a day listening to the radio without hearing at least ONE of the record's SEVEN hit singles (that's right, over half of this album was released as a fucking single. I challenge you to find another modern band who can top that level of success).

But just because something is well received does not always mean it's great. MORNING GLORY? could have been a huge commercial flop--and it still would have been a damn fine album. The lyrics are both interesting and very simplistic. Sometimes I groan hearing how basic the rhymes are at times--but they work. Usually because they are sung with what has now become the band's trademark "soaring sincerity." It's all bigger than life, which somehow makes it all the more believable. At the same time, Noel and Liam Gallagher (the real Oasis, in my opinion, as the two brothers have pushed away and alienated everyone from the original lineup at this point--but it's all good, as they are the principal singer/writing talents) know exactly what they are: they're a stupid rock 'n roll band. There's this great line in "Don't Look Back in Anger" where they even point out that not only should we not take them too seriously, but we also shouldn't put all our hopes and dreams in them:

"Please don't put your life in the hands
Of a Rock n Roll band
Who'll throw it all away"

This bit of honesty helps make the stupid bravado stuff go down smoother. These little bits, where their guards drop are what make the record.

I don't need to tell you that "Wonderwall" is a great song. It's one of those great songs that's been waaay to overplayed, but I don't care. It's still great, and I can't help but sing along with it every time I hear it on the radio. But for me, "Champagne Supernova" is the standout of this record. The soft bubbly sound at the beginning...the carefree guitar strumming...the Lennon-esque lyrics. It's all great.

"Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky "

And that title/lyric is such a great image. I don't know exactly what a Champagne Supernova is, but I totally love it. There's a great solo midway through the song, it's a fantastic, understated affair--that totally fits the laid-back vibe of the song. That's something else I love about this song, and in fact this record--Oasis in general...NO MATTER HOW INTENSE THE SONG Oasis always seems to play with a carefree effortlessness. It's a joy--a FUCKIN JOY to hear them. "Champagne Supernova" caps off a classic record, by an amazing (though underrated) rock band. Brit-Pop may be dead, it may have been a fad--but there was some amazing music created under it's tattered banner.

(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? is right up there with SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND or PET SOUNDS. It's awesome. Even though you've heard these songs 1,000 times, go back and give them a listen. They still hold up. Oasis still rocks.

Interesting fact: the two dude's walking on the album cover aren't in the band (i.e. they're not Liam or Noel, like I thought when I was younger). Nope--they're actually a couple of famous British radio personalities (Owen Morris and Sean Rowley). And the street they're walking on? It's Berkick Street Soho, London. Wow, right? Now ya know!

Chicago/OASIS Bound

Last night my sister Amber came out here to STL-Land. I got up early and made breakfast for the 3 of us, then played DEAD OR ALIVE 4 (which my sister bought and brought out for me). It's an pretty rad fighting game (in a cut-scene, a guy punches a T-REX).

Anyway, we're planning on leaving in an hour and a half. It should take us around 5 hours to reach Chicago. I'm gonna try to drive most of the way OUT myself, and save Amber for the ride back (once we get out of the city).

We're excited, and both of us are glad to have a distraction as our professional lives are in the toilet (her situation is a little better than mine, to be fair). We've got money for a cheap motel room should we get too tired on the way home...but I'm gonna try to make it all the way back (and save a little more money). We'll see how that works out...

Yes: I am ignoring you

Hey everyone. Yesterday I reached out for help via email...and then proceeded to not take any of your calls. To everyone who called: I'm sorry.

I just can't talk about this stuff. I can't even talk about it with Leah (which I know is wrong). I just can't. I have a jumble of emotions right now. Most are not good.

I took one call yesterday from my Dad and I ended up freaking out.

I am currently in the midst of 2 horrible legal issues here at work...and am freaking out.

Just stand by.