jobs and Christmas music

It's very depressing that, when I think about what I love to do most, it involves sitting for hours listening to music and/or searching for new music. What kind of job is out there where you can do that?! It's so frustrating. I think maybe I would do well working in a music store. Who knows.

Besides that, I am very happy that it is almost the month of December. Yay Christmas! Last year, Sarah McLachlan's album Wintersong was my soundtrack for the holiday. I fell asleep every night listening to it. Such a good cd. It's different from the other fifty million Christmas cd's that artists put out every year. The songs, with the exception of a few, aren't your typical Christmas songs and I like that. So anyway, here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs called "Wintersong."

The lake is frozen over, the trees are white with snow
and all around reminders of you are everywhere I go
It's later, morning's in no hurry but sleep won't set me free
I lie awake and try to recall how your body felt beside me
When silence gets too hard to handle, and the night too long

And this is how I see you, in the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
as you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by
Oh how I miss you now, my love
Merry Christmas, my love

A sense of joy fills the air and I daydream and I stare
up at the tree and I see your star up there

And this is how I see you, in the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
as you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by
-Sarah McLachlan

new music player!

So I have a little music player to the left so you can experience some of the greatness that is the music I am listening to!

Kate Bush is just fabulous. I stumbled upon her music before I knew that a lot of people tie her sound to Tori Amos. I like her voice and I think her music is unique and good. Not to mention the fact that David Gilmour helped kick start her career because he liked her work so much. So you should listen to "Running Up That Hill" if it hasn't played on here already, or if you immediately turned the volume down upon hearing the sound.

Today's rant: I am annoyed with people boycotting "The Golden Compass" movie. I mean really...I understand a person's motivation for wanting to protect their children. And if you feel that it would be wise for your young children not to see it, then by all means don't take them. But as far as adults go - I say read the books before you take such a strong stance against them. All I'm asking is that people be informed and educated before they decide to boycott anything. Or at least do some research on both sides. Another thing that pisses me off is the constant picking and choosing of what is wrong and right. Take Harry Potter, for example. Seriously, people. If you let your children watch Disney movies, then Harry Potter really isn't THAT different. Disney movies are almost always comprised entirely of magic, witches, fairies, and countless other mystical elements that have the potential to damage a child's view of reality. I specifically recall a scene towards the end of "Sleeping Beauty" when the *witch* declares that the prince is battling against her and that she will summon "all the powers of hell" to fight him when he attempts to rescue Sleeping Beauty. Pretty blatant, if you ask me. Yet millions of Christians let their children watch that movie. If you are going to be whole-heartedly against something, at least be consistent with it. I could name so many people who are probably boycotting this movie who have let their eight year olds watch gruesome horror movies that desensitize them to death and violence. And they probably are the same ones who let their children play disgusting and violent video games...oh how I could go on. But I'm going to stop now because I've discussed this enough.

Tori Amos and Peter Gabriel

The Tori Amos concert was fabulous as expected. I love love LOVE her music and she is beyond amazing on the piano. It's insane. I would post the few pictures I took, but I'm too lazy to do it right now!

Right now, I have Peter Gabriel's "I Grieve" on repeat. I am loving this song. And in general, Peter Gabriel is a great musician. The song is from "City of Angels"...so I'm guessing somehow the lyrics tie in with the movie (which I actually never saw). I have a tendency to gravitate towards more depressing songs, but there isn't anything wrong with that necessarily. However, I think it's safe to say that grieving for someone is an idea that most people can relate to. Even if it isn't necessarily grieving over someone who has literally passed away, but just grieving over someone for whatever reason. So anyway, here are the lyrics:

It was only one hour ago
It was all so different then
There's nothing yet has really sunk in
Looks like it always did
This flesh and bone
is just the way that you were tied in
Now there's no one home

I grieve for you
and you leave me
It's so hard to move on,
still loving what's gone
They say life carries on,
carries on and on and on and on

The news that truly shocks is the empty, empty page
while the final rattle rocks its empty, empty cage
and I can't handle this

I grieve for you
and you leave me

Let it out and move on,
missing what's gone
They say life carries on
They say life carries on and on and on

Life carries on
in the people I meet
in everyone that's out on the street
in all the dogs and cats
in the flies and rats
in the rot and the rust
in the ashes and the dust
and life carries on and on and on and on
Life carries on and on and on

It’s just the car that we ride in,
the home we reside in
the face that we hide in
the way we are tied in
and life carries on and on and on and on
Life carries on and on and on

Did I dream this belief
or did I believe this dream?
Now I can find relief
I grieve

pianos and cake decor

I am so very desperate to learn how to play the piano. I can read music, but on the French horn I only had to read notes on the treble clef- not the bass clef. I *can* read on the bass clef, it just takes me longer with the whole eye-to-hand reaction. I can play a few of Regina Spektor's songs, and one or two songs by Coldplay. I'm sure they are all easy pieces, so it's no real accomplishment. I just want to take lessons to get more familiar with chords, theory, etc. I learned almost zero theory in high school band, so right now my brain is useless in that department. BUT I am going to start taking lessons soon if it's the last thing I do. Being able to play the piano is one of the few goals in my life that is certain right now.

Hopefully I will be signing up for a cake decorating class at the community college tomorrow! I'm excited! I have always loved how people can make wedding cakes so pretty, and that is very random. Random or not, I am happy about getting to take the class! yay for cake decorating!

Another very important announcement: I AM SEEING TORI AMOS TOMORROW NIGHT IN CONCERT! Words cannot describe how excited I am about this. I have loved her music for years, but I haven't ever seen her live. I also have seats that are five rows from the front, so that should be pretty awesome. I'm sure the whole concert will be awesome.

I wish tomorrow could be Veteran's Day again. I mean seriously, they deserve a whole week. But since it's only one day, that means I have to work, which also means I should probably go to sleep now. So that's all for today!

I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be
but if you wait around a while I'll make you fall for me
I promise, I promise you I will
-When in Rome
...good 80's song!

On a rack in a store for a discount price...

William Fitzsimmons is amazing! I love his music. Go to his myspace and listen to it...every song on there is good. My favorites are "Funeral Dress," and "Passion Play." Random side note: He's also done some live performances with Ingrid Michaelson on background vocals. She is fabulous as well, and you can find videos of those performances on youtube. Actually, I'll just post one of them to make all our lives easier. This version of "Funeral Dress" is a bit faster than the regular version, just fyi.



and don't worry if laughter is on your lips
cause you wouldn't be you if you changed for this
and I won't measure love from the tears that drip
from your face
I can't wait f or you
-William Fitzsimmons "Funeral Dress"

coffee!!

Well, I have discovered the greatness that is coffee. Before yesterday, I was just an occasional coffee drinker. I was an occasional and picky coffee drinker. Iced mochas were about as simple as I got, and usually I was "sipping" on a frappe freeze of some kind. Yesterday morning, all that changed. One of the ladies here in the office brought everyone regular coffee from Broad River Coffee Company down the street, so I figured I'd go ahead and try to drink it since it was there. I put natural sugar in it and creamer, and it was GOOD. Not only was it unexpectedly good, but I felt so energetic within an hour. And trust me, nothing else happened that would've made me feel energetic. So yay coffee! I always tried to substitute coffee with Pepsi since I like Pepsi, but it has nowhere near the same effect.

Just thought I'd share my coffee revelation with you all.