Songs I Dig - 5

It has been a long time coming, but "The Songs I Dig" blog has returned! There hasn't been a whole lot of new music that has interested me lately, but recently some songs have became catchy enough to earn a slot in this blog. And what better way to end 2007 on my blog than with a musical entry discussing the songs I think you should check out. Enjoy!

By the way, some of these songs have been out for close to two months, so if they seem a little dated for this blog, they probably are.

"Sorry" by Buckcherry - So Buckcherry is a band that I knew absolutely nothing about when I first heard this song hit the air waves. It's a softer sounding song with a rock edge to it. The song is basically one big apology for a variety of wrongdoings listed in the lyrics. It's quite catchy and has a nice tune to it. The group has been around since the mid-1990's and has had a few band members leave throughout their existence. According to their Wikipedia entry, "Sorry" is a release from their previous album and they are currently in the studio working on their latest album.

"The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls - Another group I was unfamiliar with up until the release of this song. And after doing some research about them, it's understandable why, because they formed the group at the end of 2005. "The Great Escape" was not a song I liked at first, but it was one that I grew into and now enjoy listening to. It's a youthful, teenage kind of song that evokes the message of freedom and independence. It's the first song released from their debut album. The next song to be released is called "Hero/Heroine" and may have already hit the airwaves where you live.

"Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park - Linkin Park is back and better than ever (and apologies to those that disagree with me). I'll be honest, I never did care much for this group when they first began releasing music. But their latest album is like a breath of fresh air for me. "What I've Done" was the first song released from their latest album, "Minutes to Midnight," and I found that song to be exceptional. "Shadow of the Day" is more softer and an easy-listening tune. But it is just as good as "What I've Done." It's no surprise they've been as successful as they have and sometimes they are not afraid to take risks and re-engineer their sound.

"Falling Down" by Duran Duran - Here's another group that made a resurgence in 2007 with the long-awaited debut of their newest album. When I heard Justin Timberlake actually helped write this song for the group, I was pleasantly surprised. He actually made it sound really good for Duran Duran. The group has been around for a long time and have produced a number of hit songs including "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio", "Come Undone," and "Ordinary World;" the songs that are my most favorite from Duran Duran. It's nice to see a group that has had momentous success back in the 80's and 90's continue to have success today.

"Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance - It was nice to see the group My Chemical Romance return to the charts after releasing their 2006 song "Welcome to the Black Parade," which proved to be a nice hit for the group. "Teenagers" is a really fun song with an even greater video. It's a song that brings to life teenage angst and it really highlights the point that parents and adults do not understand teenagers - thus, the reason they need to rebel. But it's their message that continues to get lost in translation. This is a nice way of My Chemical Romance to reach out to the teenage crowd (if they didn't already) and write a song for them.

And so to wrap up 2007, I give to you my top 3 songs of the year! They are: "Dig" by Incubus, "Apologize" by One Republic, and "If You're Gonna Leave" by Emerson Hart. It was actually a pretty difficult decision, but I feel pretty happy with these selections. They proved to be the songs that I enjoyed listening to the most this year and songs I still like listening to! So with 2007 nearly in the books and a new year lurking around the corner, you can be sure 2008 will bring us some great new songs to enjoy and you can bet that I will be blogging about them. So to all of my loyal blog readers out there; Happy New Year!!!

Weather - 12/31/07

I haven't done one of these in awhile ... so I think I'm well overdue. Anyways, the weather in my part of Upper Michigan has been pretty tranquil the last few days. We even saw the sun today for the first time in awhile. Temperatures were pretty moderate for this time of the year. Highs in the mid-20's and lows in the teens. Big changes are in the works overnight tonight into tomorrow as a brief shot of arctic air moves in. North to northwest winds will blow across Lake Superior causing heavy lake effect snow to drop along the leeside of the lake. As much as ten inches of snow could fall in favored snow belt areas. An even bigger change is expected as we head towards the weekend as a dramatic rise in temperatures are predicted with the potential for record warmth for much of the country; including the U.P. where rain is forecasted and temperatures will remain above freezing for an extended period of time.

The Year that Was 2007

Christmas has now come and gone for another year and we have a new year in which we can usher in with a bunch of fanfare. Unfortunately I won't be able to ring in the new year like most people as I will be at work when the clock strikes midnight! Not like I've done all that much when I've been able to enjoy it in the past; but hopefully next year I'll be able to catch the ball drop that takes place in our small city every year - that is, if it's not cancelled because of a lack of funds like it almost was this year. Not that I am a big drinking person mind you like a lot of people are on New Years Eve, but it would be nice to check out that event for once in my life at least.

With 2007 nearly over, it's time to look back at the year that was in my personal life. And I can basically sum it up in one word: uneventful. Yep, that's right ... not a whole lot went on in my life this year and that's not necessarily a bad thing, because as the saying goes, no news is good news. My life was pretty stable in 2007. I lived in my current apartment the entire year (no moving this year), my employment status was stable (no layoffs, no shutdowns, no strikes), and my family life was stable as well (no deaths, births, illnesses, etc). In that regard I am very thankful. I guess probably one of the most exciting events of 2007 was going through a hellacious hail storm inside of an Applebee's restaurant with the lights flickering inside of the restaurant and watching the hail pound the heck out of my dad's 1994 Chevy pick-up. That took place in July and was an event that I'll never forget.

My love life, or lack thereof remained pretty much the same as it did in 2006. Although this year I did date a couple of different girls, but it just didn't work out. Hopefully the new year will help me find my true love. But I have come to find out that love ain't easy, and I am definitely someone not looking to rush into anything. I would like things for start slow, kind of get to know the person really well, and then see where things end up. I think in my last relationship, I kind of freaked the girl out by acting like she was the one for me when she didn't feel the same about me. Apparently she found her true match as she's looking to marry the guy and have his kids! So much for being patient and taking her time.

2008 should be a much more active year for me. It'll be an important year for my employer as our union's contract expires on September 1, 2008. If the contract negotiations go south, I may be headed to the picket lines as we go on strike. I hope that doesn't happen, but you never know exactly how things will end up. In this day of increasing health care costs and companies looking to eliminate pension plans, it may very well be an interesting round of negotiations with the company. Not only that, but there should be some stipulations in the contract that just might determine how long the mine I work at will remain open. Either it will remain open awhile longer but with a reduced work force or continue at the same work force and close sooner. Also additional ore reserves may allow us to remain open for a long time to come. Lets just say there are a lot of uncertainties with my job not only next year but for many years to come. 2008 is just the start of an uncertain time at the mine.

If contract negotiations go well and a strike is either averted or settled pretty quickly, I will begin the process of house hunting. I will be looking for a permanent place of residence somewhere relatively close to my place of employment. It should be an interesting challenge trying to find the right house for my needs. There is a lot of time between now and early fall to really decide on the kind of house for me. Whether it'll be fairly new or a fixer-upper or something small that I can eventually add-on to. I guess that remains to be seen as we progress through the new year. Maybe I can find a duplex and rent out the other half like my dad has suggested I do if I happen to find a duplex. House hunting should be an interesting thing to experience for the first time in my life.

Well, that just about does it for now. The new year is less than a week away. Hope that your new year ends up being a pleasant and enjoyable one for ya.

Christmas Day

It's finally here. December 25th, 2007; Christmas Day. You know, as I think back to previous Christmas days, a flood of memories come back. It seems as if Christmas traditions are ever changing for my family. For Christmas Eve, we always went over to my grandma's house and had dinner and opened presents. Then of course on Christmas morning, we'd all wake up and open presents brought to us by Santa. Now Christmas Eve is our traditional night we go to Christmas mass. Once we got home, we'd open up presents and then next day we'd have Christmas dinner. Well, seeing as both my dad and I were asleep by 9:30 last night (we both were up early that morning for work), we didn't get a chance to open gifts and that will wait until later today. But my mom and I did attend Christmas mass at our familiar community church where I hadn't been in close to three years. Nothing about the church itself had changed; all the asthetics were just as I had remembered. But the biggest change were the people and how much everyone had gotten older. Three years does not seem like a long time, but when you've been away for that long, it can be a long time. I saw many familiar faces, saw a couple of old classmates, shook hands with people I knew, and took in the whole atmosphere of the Christmas season within that church. It really was worth visiting that old church again; and what better time than on Christmas Eve.

Probably my most favorite present I had ever received on Christmas was when I got my first video game system, which ended up being the original Nintendo console. I remember lifting the large box the Nintendo came in and began to rip off the wrapping paper and saw what was on the box. I was overjoyed and excited. I don't think I stopped playing Nintendo at all that first day as it was the coolest thing I had ever played. But I tell ya, that gift of all of the ones I had received when I was young was probably my favorite and it ranks up there as one of my personal favorite Christmas moments of all - and it helps that my dad video taped it, too! In fact, I just might watch all of our past Christmas moments on tape today. Why not make that one of our newest Christmas family traditions. I know there are some great Christmas moments to look back upon.

Christmas Eve at my grandma's was always a blast. We'd get there fairly early, and some years we even arrived after church - but not always. A few of my cousins and uncles would already be there - and although I was never that close with a lot of them, it was nice being together even if it was just that one time a year. We'd open up presents, enjoy a good Christmas meal that my grandma had cooked up, and just generally enjoy each other's company. It has been some years now since we've been over at my grandma's house on Christmas Eve. People have grown up and it has no longer become an important destination for the Christmas season. My grandma has also been in declining health for some time now and she can no longer do the things that she used to be able to. So now we just hold our own immediate family traditions. At least we have the memories of those previous Christmas Eve's and are able to enjoy Christmas in a new way.

You know, even though we grow up and Christmas may not seem like it did when we were kids. But the holiday still gives us this special feeling and makes us feel great about things. We may be occupied with work or other activities that may not allow us to enjoy the season as much anymore, but when it comes to Christmas day - then it's a different story. Most everyone in the world has the day off so everyone is able to be with family. We're able to open presents, enjoy a wonderful Christmas meal, watch Christmas programming on TV, and everyone is in good spirits - even if it's just for one day. It's unlike any other day of the year. And unless you're a Scrooge about the day, it really gives you a good feeling about things. Now tomorrow things will probably go back to normal, but at least for one day out of the year - this day is really special for us all.

To all of my blog readers - whether you're loyal and always log in to see if there's a new blog posting each and every day, or those that happen to stumble upon it, I wish each and everyone one of you a very merry Christmas! May you be able to spend it with the people you love and have a most enjoyable and joyous time.

A Time to Sing

Wow. Christmas is only two days away. To me, it seems the holiday season just started not that long ago. And now already it is nearing a close. The holiday season just isn't as fulfilling as it used to be when you're a child. Christmas really was the most wonderful time of the year then. Now it just doesn't have that same luster. Welcome to adulthood. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just seemed to last so much longer when I was a kid. Now that I'm a full-time worker and don't really get to enjoy the holidays as much as I used to, it really seems to go by quick. I'd say this is probably the fastest the holiday season has gone by yet. And I don't even have any kids!

But of course when you're a kid, there are just so many more events to enjoy and participate in to get you in the Christmas spirit. One of those events that continues for children around the world to this day are Christmas programs. As part of the music program at our school, each grade would sing a Christmas song for the elementary program. I am sure many kids hated this part of the Christmas season, but I actually enjoyed it very much. I've always enjoyed Christmas and one of my favorite things about this holiday are the wide variety of Christmas songs that accompany it. I've always listened and sang along to Christmas songs, so the Christmas program at school was my cup of tea. We'd all arrive at the school for a designated time and meet in our classrooms. We'd take our shoes off and walk around in our socks since the program was taking place in the gymnasium and they wanted to protect the floor. From Kindergarten to sixth grade, each class performed a Christmas song. It was always nerve wracking to be up on stage in front of a large audience, but something that made it comforting was being amongst all of your fellow classmates. It made singing that much easier. Probably some of my favorite songs that our class sang during the elementary programs were "Up on the Housetop," "All I Want for Christmas," and "We Wish you a Merry Christmas." I can't seem to recall any others, but it was definitely an enjoyable time and really got me into the Christmas spirit.

As I moved into junior high, there were no more Christmas programs to take part in. My seventh and eighth grades lacked any kind of "choral" performances for me. But once I moved into high school, I took part in my school's choir. I was kind of hesitant to join the choir at first because I didn't know if it would be something I enjoyed. In time, I learned to enjoy it. And with being in a choir, we got to take part in the high school Christmas program. We usually ended up singing two to three Christmas songs. Some of them were Christmas medlies, others were classic Christmas songs, and one year, we even sang a song along with the high school band! Now that was a cool experience. During the final day of school before Christmas break and during our high school choir class period, we would parade around the school singing Christmas carols in the hallways. At first I enjoyed this, but once I got to my senior year, a part of me didn't like this tradition anymore. We went to sing to the elementary kids but when it was time to head down to the high school wing of the school, a bunch of us bolted and made a run for it back to the music room. Our teacher didn't repremand us for doing so; so maybe she didn't notice (but I think she did). All in all, high school choir ended up being a very fun class for me, especially during the Christmas season!

Even for church, as part of our catechism classes in high school, we'd go out in the community and sing Christmas carols to elderly citizens in our area. We'd visit the elderly apartment building, assisted living homes, and elderly residences and sing them songs of the Christmas season. We even made one elderly woman weep because she was so happy we stopped by to sing. It really made you feel good to see these people so happy and greatful for a visit by us. And church was another time when you'd hear songs of the season and plenty of them! I don't go to church much anymore which is a pity. But the Christmas season was definitely my most favorite time of year to attend church because of the Christmas songs and the way the church was decorated so beautifully. I just might have to attend mass tomorrow night on Christmas Eve at my church for old times sake. It's been a long time; and what better way to attend than for the Christmas season.

A good way to enjoy the Christmas season is to listen to the wonderful sounds of this holiday. Put in a Christmas tape, CD, or even a record (if you still have them) and sing or at least whistle along. It's something I haven't done a whole lot this Christmas and I've realized I'd better do now before it's all over.

Weather Review

The weather has been relatively tranquil the past three or so days. Saturday morning brought some lake effect snow showers into the area, depositing around three to four inches of snow. Other than that, the conditions have been pretty spectacular for early winter. We've had generally sunny skies with temperatures mainly around 20 degrees. We've had a few days where the temps stayed in the teens and overnight lows dropped below zero, but it's really nothing unusual. Yes, those temperatures are below average, but we've been above average for so long that it's actually kind of nice to be below average. And it's not like we're getting pounded with snow for days on end. Our next significant chance of snow could come through next week as a clipper looks to drop through and crank up the lake effect snow machine.

Weather - 12/5/07

What do you know? The snow finally stopped! It snowed quite heavily overnight, with some locations picking up an additional six to eight inches of lake effect snow. But finally by this afternoon, the snow moved off to the east and the sun finally appeared for the first time in several days. Total accumulations from the past five days in certain locations have reached 30 to 35 inches. Temperatures remain pretty chilly, staying around 20 degrees during the day and in the teens at night. The winter weather appears to stick around for the next five days with additional chances of snow and chilly temperatures.

Weather - 12/4/07

The weather word of the day is - SNOW! Yes, we have picked up an additional accumulation of snow since yesterday. Anywhere from four to six inches of snow have fallen. Temperatures remain rather chilly with highs around 20 and lows in the teens. This time of the year, the sun is rarely out. The last few days have been very cloudy. Things don't look to change within the next few days. The lake effect appears to remain rather dominant with northerly winds and chilly temperatures forecasted.

Memory

Have you ever encountered this problem before? You're having a conversation with someone and you're discussing a particular individual. The only problem is, you can't think of their name! It happens to me all of the time, especially when it comes to remembering people from my past. I've always admitted that I am terrible with names. If I haven't been around a person for five years or more and they're someone that I never really socialized with that often, their names eventually become filtered out of my mind. Sometimes it's like a vacuum, a wasteland of memories that get erased after a period of time. Unfortunately that's how many people are when it comes to remembering things; not just names, but memories, too. You hope that someday you will always remember things when you were a kid, or in high school, and even college. But after awhile, only the most significant memories remain and all the rest become forgotten.

Do you ever try to think back to when you were a little boy or girl and try to recall the earliest memory that you can think of? I've tried doing this before and I believe the earliest memory from when I was a child was when I was still in my crib and I was picturing these green scary faces on the ceiling of my bedroom in the middle of the night. I kid you not, for I remember standing up in my crib, crying as these images swirled around the ceiling. I do believe this is why I had a nightlight in my room for most of my childhood as I was picturing these scary creatures in my room. But isn't that how it goes for most people when they're kids; imagining scary creatures in a room or closet? This is definitely the earliest memory that I can recall. At times certain memories will pop up of your childhood but after your mind drifts away for a long period of time, they vanish like thin air.

Unfortunately I have very few memories of both of my grandfathers; as they both passed away around the time when I was five or six. I honestly could not believe myself today when I couldn't remember my one grandpa's name (my dad's father) right away. I had to think about it; but then I realized he had the same first name as my uncle. But wow, just that example right there is an instance where not seeing someone for a long period of time and especially someone with whom you have very few memories of is when you can't remember a name. Too bad it's that way, but I guess it is what it is. Thankfully we're able to ponder for awhile and in due time, the name will come up. In most cases that's how it is for me, but there are certain names that I continually draw a blank on, even though I can see their faces! It's definitely hard getting old.

I've definitely learned one thing as I've grown into adult-hood. Enjoy your youth while you can. Do you remember the song, "Everyone's Free to Wear Sunscrean" almost ten years ago? If you haven't heard it in awhile, it has some rather inspirational words. In fact, I consider it to be an age-less song, because today's and future generations can follow its message. With age comes the continual loss of memory. Alzheimers or dementia are memory-depleating diseases. Keep a journal, create a blog, jot down some notes of the activities of your day. Someday, they will definitely come in handy when you try remembering certain activities back in the day. And at least one thing it'll accomplish is hopefully bringing back to life some wonderful memories for years to come.

Weather - 12/3/07

Needless to say, the weather has gotten quite wintery in the Upper Peninsula. A major winter storm overspread the region on Saturday and continued into the next day. Six to 12 inches of snow blanketed the region; with residents also enduring strong winds at times. The temperatures warmed into the low to mid 30's on Sunday but the precipitation continued as snow with some freezing rain and drizzle mixing in at times. There was a break in the snow for awhile during the day on Sunday, but then the lake effect snows kicked in. In the lake effect snowbelts, an additional six to 12 inches has fallen. The snow continues tonight and the temperatures have cooled off some into the 20's. It's definitely got that winter-time feel around these parts; just in time for the Christmas season!

Weather - 11/30/07

The weather today was very chilly. Temperatures hovered around 10 degrees all day; making today the coldest day of the season thus far. The sunshine was out all day, though, but it did not make a difference in warming things up outside. A cool northerly wind made it feel that much colder. Last night we had temperatures below zero with clear skies, as well. We are definitely in a chilly pattern right now - and a big storm looks to move in just in time for the weekend.

Favorite Christmas Specials

Tis the season to be jolly - and what a great way to get into the Christmas spirit than by watching some awesome Christmas specials from the past. A lot of these air to this day, making them long-time classics. It's not Christmas until you've seen all of these, and thanks to YouTube, it makes it that much easier to watch them!

Here is what I consider to be the most classic of all Christmas Specials: "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

PART 1 - A Charlie Brown Christmas


PART 2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas


PART 3 - A Charlie Brown Christmas


The next is a special that used to air every Christmas season on CBS, but nowadays, the only way you'll be able to watch it is if you have it on DVD or you watch it on YouTube (thankfully someone uploaded it there). I guess CBS stopped airing it around the time they cancelled the Saturday Morning cartoon. It's "A Garfield Christmas"!

PART 1 - A Garfield Christmas


PART 2 - A Garfield Christmas


PART 3 - A Garfield Christmas


And what's a Christmas special without Santa and his reindeer? In fact, this next Christmas special is about one of Santa's reindeer that was born with a shiny red nose. You guessed it; it's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This long-time special dates back to 1964 and has been a long-time staple for CBS during the Christmas season. In fact, it is set to air this Tuesday, December 4 at 8:00 PM (EST). But, if you can't wait until then, here is your chance to watch it now!

PART 1 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


PART 2 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


PART 3 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


PART 4 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


PART 5 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


PART 6 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


Next up is the special that features an inanimate object that suddenly comes to life when a magic had is placed on his head. That's right; it's Frosty the Snowman! I'm sure you all know the carol by heart and if you've watched this special year after year, you should know the details of the story pretty well, too. A newer adaptation was created in the late 1990's, but doesn't nearly hold a candle to this one that still regularly airs on CBS every Christmas season. Happy birthday!

PART 1 - Frosty the Snowman


PART 2 - Frosty the Snowman


PART 3 - Frosty the Snowman


Last but not least is a Christmas special that I consider to be a more recent classic but one that has quickly become forgotten by many that grew up as kids in the 80's. It hasn't been on television since at least the early 1990's and can only be seen on DVD and on YouTube. It's called "A Claymation Christmas" created by legendary claymation artist Will Vinton. Some rather kooky characters are featured in this special (including the California Raisons) singing classic Christmas carols. If you haven't seen this one in years, it'll sure to bring back some good memories. Enjoy!

PART 1 - A Claymation Christmas


PART 2 - A Claymation Christmas


PART 3 - A Claymation Christmas


So there you have it, some of the very best Christmas specials that exist to this day. Hopefully by watching these, it'll help you get in the Christmas spirit as well. Enjoy!

Weather - 11/23/07

It was a very chilly day today, overall. Temperatures hovered in the low 20's all day, but the sun did appear for most of the day making it seem better than what it was. Those who ventured out early this morning for the deals at the stores had to endure temperatures in the teens and a slight northerly wind. This evening is proving to be quite chilly as well, with a brisk wind and temperatures dropping quickly under a clear sky. We are definitely easing into that winter mode, despite not much snow on the ground.

Weather - 11/22/07

As part of a new feature at "Luke's Ponderings," whenever I don't have a specific topic to write about on certain days, you will see small postings that will talk about the day's weather at a particular location I happen to be writing from (my apartment or home). This is a way for me to have a blog written for every single day of the year (at least that is my ultimate goal)! And I'm always able to talk about the weather; because something new seems to happen every day in the weather department and I've always enjoyed discussing the weather. So here we go!

The weather on Thursday, November 22, 2007 was quite chilly. Temperatures stayed in the low 20's and we had off and on snow showers coming in from Lake Superior (lake effect snow). It was generally cloudy, although there were a few peaks of sun through high clouds at times. Accumulation was around a dusting to one inch. Current snow cover is a dusting to one inch.

Thanksgiving

And so Thanksgiving is now upon us; that much closer to Christmas. To me, once Thanksgiving is beyond us, so begins the Christmas season. These days you see Christmas introduced to us right after Halloween is over; both in stores and on the television. Thanksgiving seems to be stuck right smack dab in the middle. It's a holiday where you give thanks for everything that's important in your life. This holiday has always meant something special to me and I really have some great memories of Thanksgiving day from the past. Not only did we get out of school for a couple of days, but it also meant being with family that you don't regularly get to see. These family gatherings are ones I didn't always mind.

I used to always get up around 8:00 or so on Thanksgiving morning and get prepared to watch the Macy's parade on television. Prior to that, you'd have the boring morning news programs on but I'd sit patiently through those. Then, once the parade came on, I waited for the balloons to appear. To me, those were the most exciting part of the parade. Just because of the fact that they were so big and dozens of people below controlled them from getting out of hand. They are actually pretty spectacular to watch, but I wouldn't want to be hanging onto one of the ropes down below on a windy day. Then, after watching the parade for awhile, I'd have to get ready as we prepared to venture over to my grandma's house a short 15 miles away for Thanksgiving dinner. Usually an aunt, an uncle, and their kids were there along with another uncle or two and some cousins. It wasn't a tremendous gathering; just enough people, I'd say. There was always plenty of food to go around and leftovers to bring home, if we wanted (but we never could take too much home, since my grandma always wanted to save some for her "boys"). To be honest with you, I don't remember any specific memories about those dinners. It just brought family together and we shared in each other's company for that one day. That was probably the best part of all.

These days we don't have Thanksgiving dinner at my grandma's house because she is too sickly. Instead, dinner is held at my parents house, with my sister and her husband and two children in attendance. If my grandma feels up to it, she may even stop over. But these days, even that is too much work for her. This year, however, I am stuck working Thanksgiving day until 3:00 in the afternoon. After work, I plan to head home for dinner, eat, spend time with family, then head back to my apartment here in town and get some sleep before work the next day. Yeah, it's not exactly the most glamorous Thanksgiving day, but it's the best I could do. I'd rather have it off but I wasn't lucky enough to have it off this time around. Oh well, there's always next year.

Hopefully your Thanksgiving day is wonderful. Remember to be thankful for what you have and enjoy the time you have with your family. I know we all can get on each other's nerves from time to time, but it's different on a holiday like Thanksgiving. It's time to put issues aside and be together. Thankfully in my immediate family, I don't have issues like that. Happy Thanskgiving, everyone.

Hunting Season

Right now in the states of Michigan and Wisconsin, we are in the midst of the fire arm deer season. It is probably one of the most anticipated outdoor sporting events in the late fall around these parts. Thousands of people take to the woods and venture to their respective deer blinds and have the ultimate goal in mind; a deer with a nice set of antlers. I am probably in the minority for guys my age that live around here that do not hunt. I have nothing against the sport of hunting and feel it's important to keep the deer herd in check. Otherwise we'd be slamming into them more often with our vehicles. Hunting just hasn't been something I've been interested in. That is basically my explanation as to why I've never hunted.

No one in my immediate family hunts either, which probably explains my lack of interest in the sport. I have uncles on my mom's side that hunt on their own property. I have an uncle on my dad's side that also likes to hunt but lives way down in Florida. The deer down there don't live up to the beasts that thrive around here. My dad did do some hunting with his father when he was a kid, but hasn't been interested in doing so since. He is a fan of most animals, so I have to believe it would be very difficult for him to shoot an animal like a deer. As for me, I don't think it would be as big of a deal to shoot a deer. When we had pesty racoons invade our bird feeders back home, traps just weren't doing the trick. I got out my dad's .22 and prepared to shoot a big monster of a coon that was perched on one of the feeders late one night a few summer's ago. All it took was one shot; bam, and it was down to the ground. Even for a critter like a racoon, the adrenaline that races through your body up until you pull the triger; it's a feeling unlike any other. Of course a racoon is no prize, but for the sheer thrill of hunting these creatures is amazing. Now compare that to hunting deer and I'm sure it has to be ten times better.

Back when I was in seventh or eighth grade, I took a hunter's safety course. I mainly took it because my best friend was also in the class, but a part of me then was interested in going hunting someday. I remember being a lousy shot then, using a .22 and not even able to hit the target near the edge of the woods on the school's property. My aim has improved quite a bit since then, but my interest in hunting has definitely fallen off. Just the thought of sitting out in the cold in adverse weather waiting for the smallest signs of life in the middle of the woods just doesn't intrigue me. Maybe I am not supposed to think that way; maybe I am supposed to be in it for the thrill of the hunt. And I do see these people with monster bucks portrayed on television and in the newspaper and seeing the trophy they're able to display for years to come. Now that part would be pretty cool. But I guess I'm not really up to gutting a deer and dragging it out of the woods. But if you're hunting deer, you can't have it totally easy.

Maybe someday, when I have my own place and if there's enough land in the back where I can do some hunting, I just might have the interest to search out that ultimate buck when I don't have much else going on. And there's more than just hunting deer, too, such as birds, bear, etc. In the meantime, I'm just going to stay in the warm comforts of my apartment and hear of all the other people and their success stories. At least I can be happy for them and their accomplishments.

Single Again...

Well, that didn't last long, did it? I am once again single after a four-month relationship. To be brutally honest with you, I wouldn't even call it a relationship - it never even got to that point. The most intimate we had gotten was one hug and that was the last time I saw her. It was more of a friendly hug, too. I was willing to make this relationship work but as she told me, she never felt the spark between us like I did. That tends to deflate the ego quite a bit. But, that's the way things go sometimes. And do I feel the least bit upset about how things turned out? Not in the least. Because as the saying goes, there are plenty of fish in the sea.

You know, when I first met her it was hard for me to keep my eyes off of her. There was just something about her that I enjoyed right off the bat. She was very friendly, easy to talk to and she seemed so carefree about many different things. We talked that first day for close to three hours about a variety of different things. It was a nice meeting and I was actually speechless on the drive home. A sense of peace had come over me as I thought, "you know, this might be the one." It just goes to show you that first instincts aren't always right. It takes awhile for a relationship to evolve and that's one bit of advice I'll take with me next time. I probably went overboard when I told her a few things about us being a couple and that could have freaked her out and ruined my chances in the long run. But hey, I was being honest and I'm not exactly experienced when it comes to romance. It ended up being a lesson learned and important for the next time around.

We talked quite a bit those first few months; mostly on the phone and some on instant messenger. I got to learn a little bit more about herself such as the things she liked, her relationship with her parents and where she worked. Lots of times I talked to her while she was at work - which was okay with her employer. I felt I was really getting to know her pretty well; but our meetings in person were few and far between. I was getting anxious to see her and in fact one night we planned to meet at her apartment after I worked an afternoon shift. But a friend of hers was planning to stay the night so all we could do was talk (not that I had planned on moving in on a second meeting). But as I approached the door, a note was stuck on the door saying she had an emergency and wasn't home. I was disappointed and headed back home. Shortly thereafter, she made the decision that she just didn't feel right that we met again until we could get the "parents" situation straightened out.

Ah yes, the "parents" situation. It all came down to this: she was afraid to tell her parents about us because they did not want her to be dating anyone she met from the internet. And I can completely understand their concerns; but not everyone you meet on-line is a psychopath. And she was 22 years old afterall and out on her own. This is what really held up our relationship. She wanted us to come up with this white lie she could tell her parents. The white lie was a place where we had a pretend meeting - and not on-line. What she really wanted was for me to attend her Baptist church and have our "meeting" there. I never committed to this because for one I am not that religious. The last time I attended church was close to two years ago. Also, I am Catholic and I am not about to switch religions just on the flick of a dime. So it was pretty much up to me to come up with something and I was never able to.

After awhile, I kind of got fed up. She basically swore off our relationship just because she couldn't tell her parents about me, which is why she couldn't see me. I got to the point where I just did not want to try anymore. There went a period where we did not communicate for close to three weeks. Then I e-mailed her to see how she was doing. As soon as I sent the e-mail, she appeared on IM and we communicated for a bit. She was planning to make a trip to Wal-Mart and since she was in the vicinity, she wondered if I would like to meet her there. I was all for it and so we met at Wal-Mart, of all places. We did a little shopping together, had an extensive conversation in the greeting cards section, and at the end of the visit, we hugged in the parking lot. That ended up being the final time I saw her in person. At that time, I had a glimmer of hope that we could make things work. I still had some feelings for her. But there was still that obstacle to overcome; the parents.

Another month surpassed without communication. I guess I was still kind of hurt that she didn't want to see me for the simple fact that she couldn't tell her parents about me. So I didn't call her or e-mail her. For awhile there the first few months, we talked everyday. But the last month, hardly ever. I knew that was not a sign of a healthy relationship. But I continued to have hope. But then suddenly, her myspace page disappeared. I thought that was a strange sign but I didn't really dig into it right away. Finally about a week later, I had to know what was going on. So I e-mailed her, asked her how she was and what she was up to. She e-mailed me about four days later, but I did not open it right away for fear of what she had written. I guess I was fearing a break-up, but it did not come with that e-mail. It soon came about a week later, not only in an e-mail but a rare appearance from her on IM. In the month between I last talked to her, she met someone else. She was in the initial stages of a new relationship with this guy, but didn't seem to be in a hurry to tell me about it. And so, life goes on.

You know, I am not the least bit disappointed or upset about "what might've been." I guess I knew it was inevitable. Now maybe if I had grown closer with her it probably would've been a lot harder to take. I just hope she's happy with whomever she's with now. And if she happens to read this at some point; please don't feel sorry for me or upset at what I wrote in this blog. It's just my way of venting and we both could've handled things differently these past two months. We made our fair share of mistakes and all we can do is look forward to the future. And as for me, the search starts over to find my missing piece. I wonder how long it'll take this time around?

That Time of the Year...

Last week we received our first official taste of winter and it looks as if winter may be here to stay; looking ahead at the forecast. Much of the snow we received during our first snow storm has melted and a fresh dusting of snow coats the ground today. Close to a foot of snow fell in some areas during the last event and the plows were not out in quick fashion as they should've been. And I can understand what the road commissions are dealing with as they are not receiving the proper funding from the state of Michigan. Let's be honest, Michigan is broke right now; we're one of the worst states in the U.S. as far as an economy and unemployment. Years of cutbacks have agencies that rely on state aid to look elsewhere or to cut back to bare bones. The road commissions receive state aid to do their job - roadway maintenance in their respective counties. As other costs continue to rise, such as fuel, health insurance, road building materials, etc; state aid remains the same and in most years, it continues to drop. The road commissions can't do their jobs effectively if the money is lacking. They've had to lay a lot of workers off over the years and they are continuing to cut back as the years go by. Honestly, when is it going to end?

I drove home from work after midnight shift the morning of the first snow storm, and it didn't even look like the plows had been out. It started snowing around 9 or 10 o'clock the evening prior and the roads were in terrible shape. M-35, a state thoroughfare, was a two-rut, rough, icy road. I was amongst a line of cars going 25 to 30 mph - any faster and each of us would've quickly driven into the ditch. These are the conditions that we have to face during a major winter storm. I've experienced situations like this the last couple of winters, in fact. And I know what some of you may be saying; just don't go to work when it's snowing. But the thing is, we get a lot of snow at least five months out of the year. If we all stopped driving when it snowed, there'd be a lot of missed days from work, school, and other events. Our worlds cannot stop just because of snow. In a lot of areas of the country, two to four inches of snow from one storm is a big deal. That's not the case here. Six to 12 inches of snow is a pretty big deal; but we often get a lot more during some of the worst storms. The plowing situation doesn't look like it's going to get any better in the future either. The local road commission has cut back on the amount of snow plow drivers and the effect is clearly evident on the roads. When will the situation ever improve?

I know there has been talk of increasing the state's gas tax - but all that does is increase the price of gas even higher than it already is (it's $3.29 a gallon around here right now). But what other options are there? Possibly regional road commissions in the form of consolidations, the state taking charge of plowing the state highways and the road commissions deferring to plowing local roads ... yes, there are a few possibilities out there. It's sad that it's even getting to this point however. Summer maintenance of roads is lacking as well and the infrastructure is falling apart. There is no money for maintenance/paving projects; at least not like there used to be. This is only one area where the state of Michigan in struggling. Just look at the Department of Natural Resources, the State Police, the Department of Corrections, and on and on. This blog could be many more paragraphs if I wanted. But for this particular blog, the point is on one subject; the plowing of roads in the wintertime. I guess one solution for those that live in Michigan (specifically the U.P.) is to buy SUV's to get through the higher snow totals on the roads.

Working Challenges

I've been working at my current place of employment for over two years now and although there have been some challenges to work though; overall I'd say it's been a good place to work. These days things are a bit more challenging as I have to deal with a co-worker that I converse very little with and it appears he doesn't like me. I try not to let it bother me because my intention was not to get worked up about it. In fact, I've had to deal with this individual back when I worked there as a summer student and although he treated me differently then; there was still something about him that I didn't care much for. He acts like one of those tough athletic-type of persons; namely jocks. This is a great description for him because he was a college football player and he seems to have lived with this mentality to this present day. But I for one certainly do not praise the ground he walks on as some of my co-workers do.

This was an individual I wrote about before in my old Word Press blog; someone that was returning to our crew and a return I was not looking forward to in the least. He had an ongoing feud with my dad about something that was blown completely out of proportion and with which he gave my dad the silent treatment for close to three years. During that time, he treated me as if I was the one to say bad stuff about him. I never did write about how that experience went as he came onto the crew; but I sure didn't enjoy it. After a few months, he was gone and I was jumping for joy. There was one time when he "attempted" to show me a job procedure but never exactly took me through the steps and basically did the job all to himself. But I watched very closely and know how to do it quite easily to this day. But what if I weren't paying attention and missed certain steps? I certainly wasn't going to ask him because he's not the most approachable person in the world. He's one of those kinds of people that like to retain information and keep it all to himself and not pass along some of these tricks to new people below him.

I was in the midst of training as a control room operator at the time he came on the crew. We were in the process of shutting down a major grinding line in the mill and he was preparing to dump a sump. He has a very rough, scratchy, and hoarse voice due to the years of smoking he's done, so hearing him on the radio is very difficult. He also likes to mumble and trail off on his conversation. I swear he told me to shut down the pump to this sump; which I did. Well needless to say, he wanted the pump to stay running; otherwise when it's down and you try draining a sump, you get doused with water; to which he did. Needless to say, he let me know about it later that day as he pointed a finger at me and raised his voice for what I did. I was ticked off and waved him off in disgust. I've kept that incident with me to this day and consider it one of my small victories against his oppression. Not that it was my intention to get him wet under that sump because that was definitely not my plan. But I still am proud for that as I continue to deal with this moron to this day. And like I said, he was gone after only two months, thanks in part to a feud he developed with my boss.

My dad hasn't had a real conversation with this guy for close to three years and he finally got fed up. He's tried to make small talk with him but kept getting pushed away. The two has since made ammends, but which my dad made the real effort to resolve things. He is so bull-headed and arrogant that he would've not spoken to my dad until my dad eventually retired. My dad was the one to make the effort to resolve this ongoing feud. My dad even brought up the fact that he wasn't speaking to me and that I had no part in what took place between those two. He gave the excuse that I'm too quiet, which is why he never tried talking to me; which I find utterly rediculous to this day. Nobody else on my crew seems to have that trouble with me!

With the retirement of our full-time plant operator on our crew, someone needed to come in and replace her. I posted for the job, along with a few others. He was the one to get the job. If he wouldn't have accepted it, then it would've came to me. I was this close to having that operators job. And no, I am not resentful over that because I am still pretty new to the plant and there's still things I need to learn. I still enjoy being on the floor and helping out instead of being confined to the control room all of the time. But still, to lose out to him is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow.

Lately it has become somewhat frustrating at how he treats me differently over the others on the crew. To the others, he makes jokes and talks to them like they're his best friends. Heck, I sit with him in the control room for at least 20 minutes during our breaks and he makes no effort at trying to talk to me. I've tried making small talk to which he usually just replies "yep." Some breaks I don't even go in the control room with him because he doesn't talk; at least out in the lunch room there are people willing to talk to me. And it's not because he's a shy person, because he's anything but. He's one of the loudest and most outgoing persons you'll meet. In fact, he really doesn't care about a lot of things, namely what people think of him. I struggle trying to think of things to talk to him about. I've made many efforts since he's joined the crew to bring up a variety of things but to no avail. I've reached the point where I'm not even going to bother anymore. Whenever he has to leave the control room for a cigarette break or to check something on the floor, he doesn't ask me to sit in the control room for him; but he asks our other crew APO who has less seniority to me and who isn't even trained in the control room yet to watch things. This is really a slap in the face to me. Who the heck fills-in for him when he's gone? Who is the one that has 500+ hours in the control room already? I rarely ever make a mistake when I'm the control room operator. Yet there are a lot of times when he'll look to find someone else because I am not one of his pets. It really pisses me off and it's rare for me to get so frustrated at something like this. Lately it seems to be eating at me more and I just don't really know what to do. Last night, he had a conversation with someone over the radio that required knowledge of a job that doesn't need to be performed very often. I am sitting right next to him when he replies, "well, I'll see if someone up here knows how to do it." He never even considered that I could do it. There are many things out there that he thinks I don't know how to do. He acts as if I'm an idiot. I go to every call where there's significant trouble and I've been witness to many things in my two plus years on the job. I've seen a lot of different things happen and I should know what to do after awhile. I'm pretty much at a loss at what I can do anymore.

Some of you reading this are probably saying, "why don't you just talk to him." Well, it's not that easy of a task for me. I'm one of those kinds of people that would rather just let things work themselves out and stay in the background. It's not that he's abusive or anything like that but he makes me feel under-appreciated. I know I shouldn't be letting him get to me like this because it's just work. I'm not there to make friends. But I do like to get along with all of my co-workers. I have a job that's pretty important and I'd like to feel important. I guess this blog entry is one to vent because the last week or so, I've let things get so bottled up inside. I admitted to a co-worker of mine last night that I never really cared much for this person; and this co-worker saw that I didn't stay as long in the control room like I did with our former control room operator. Things changed when she retired and I have tried to make conversation with this individual. But it's not easy, especially when all he seems to like to talk about are dirty topics and bashing the company (pretty convenient since he's a union guy - and no, I am not anti-union by any means).

So that is what I am putting up with these days at work. I think it felt pretty good to get that off my chest as I feel a little better about things. What I am going to do is continue going to work and try not to think about him and his behavior. If he wants things to change; he is going to have to make a better effort because I've done all that I can. I am just going to go about my business and take each day at work one day at a time.

Cheated

Yep ... I am feeling cheated this morning. You want to know why? It's because of one thing. I didn't get that extra hour of sleep that the majority of the world that observes Daylight Savings Time gets. You know what I got instead? An extra hour of work!! Already it was a 12-hour shift, but adding that extra hour, I had to work 13 hours. There should be a law against that. But sadly, there is not; which is why me and my crew were stuck working.

And needless to say; I am exhausted. This is going to be my shortest blog ever ... but I had to gripe. Hope you understand...

Happy Halloween!

Today is October 31, 2007; Halloween day. When you're a kid, this is probably one of the greatest days of the year, next to the last day before Christmas Vacation and Summer Vacation, of course. Halloween was one of those days you looked forward to all year long. You might've even had the idea for your costume picked out months in advance. Lots of planning goes into creating a costume because you want it to be the absolute best and most original. I can recall a few costumes that I had; a firefighter, a ghost, a soldier, a pirate, a bum and probably others that I can't remember. The firefighting costume was probably my favorite because it included a real fire hose, complete with a real nozzle and hose, that my dad took from work. I had the whole outfit down to a tee and it was fun showing off in it.

But as I'm sure you all know, the older you get, the less interested you become in the holiday, particularly dressing up in a costume. The fifth grade was the last year I took it seriously. A year later, I decided enough was enough and that I did not want to get dressed up at all. I went to school without a costume and I know I wasn't the only one to be without. A number of my friends also did not dress up. You know how it goes, we were too cool to be dressed up for Halloween and we weren't kids anymore. And I wasn't even going to go trick or treating that night, but I was more or less dragged into going by my sister's boyfriend at the time. He and my sister took me to a few houses around the neighborhood and I did get into the holiday spirit while trick or treating. All in all, I had a fun time that night, but that ended up being the last time I went trick or treating.

I don't believe I dressed up in costume for Halloween again until I was in college. Halloween just happened to fall on a weekend and while I was in college for a couple of years, I worked Fridays and Saturdays at a grocery store about 20 miles from home. All of the employees were encouraged to dress up for Halloween and not even considering that I would have to stand behind a cash register the whole shift, I dressed up as a construction worker, complete with a hard hat, tool belt, work clothes, and tools. At least I wasn't the only one to dress up and I had a fun time doing it. It made for an interesting night, that is for sure.

So here we are upon another Halloween and mine won't exactly be very exciting. In a few hours I plan to carve a pumpkin - it's a large one, so it's going to take me awhile. Then after that, I plan to sit by the TV, watching a marathon of the "Halloween" movies on AMC - a recent tradition of mine. After awhile, we'll begin to hear knocking on our front door which signals that start of trick or treating! We don't get as many trick or treaters to our house anymore. At one time, we had anywhere from 50-60 kids at our door on Halloween. Lately, we've been lucky to get 25! Not a lot of kids in the neighborhood anymore. But, it'll be nice to hear the kids yelling "trick or treat" as they go house by house looking for candy.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful Halloween, whether you'll be dressing up and going to a Halloween party, giving out candy to trick or treaters, watching horror movies on the TV, or carving a Halloween pumpkin; be sure to make the most of your day! And even though you may be grown up and too old to enjoy the holiday anymore, at least think back to those times when you were a kid enjoying the day. I know that's what I'll be doing.

My Days as a Baseball Player

I was watching the movie "Bad News Bears" today (the recent adaptation starring Billy Bob Thornton) which reminded me of the spectacular times I had as a Little League and Pee Wee baseball player. I honestly do not remember how I even got into the Pee Wee League (for those that don't know, it's the league for players too young to be in Little League). During my very first year, because my hometown didn't even have a Pee Wee team, I went to play on the nearby town's team; which a lot of kids did from my town. I was one of the younger kids on the squad and I didn't play all that much, but I did get in the games from time to time. We had an awesome team that year; only lost one or two games and won the league's championship. I remember a few games where I hit an inside-the-park homerun or hit a triple. Heck, we even managed to score 40+ runs on one particular opponent. But despite all of the highs from that one season, it certainly wasn't the season I remember most while playing baseball as a youth.

During my second year in the Pee Wee league, I defected from the nearby town's team to play for my own town's squad (yes, they finally organized a team that year). Our uniforms had to have been hand-me-downs and I thought we were a pretty meager team; but we definitely did not quit. In fact, I think we had a pretty decent season, as well. I don't remember a lot of particulars about that season anymore. In fact, it's pretty forgetable to me. By no means was I the star player, but I would rate myself as somewhere in the middle. I often played outfield and more often than not, not a lot of balls came my way (one time I did catch a fly ball but got so excited at my feat that I totally botched up the throw back to the infield). I loved to bat, but was deathly afraid of being hit by the pitch. A lot of times I would step out of the batter's box, especially when facing one of the fast-throwing pitchers until I got comfortable being in the situation. There were even times when I would strike out looking; and apparently I did it one too many times before my dad bawled me out about it. So from that point on, if I struck out, I did so swinging the bat. I was supposed to play another season for my town's Pee Wee team (I committed to playing while laying down in the backseat sick of my parents car sick with the flu - not in the correct state of mind) when I changed my mind after learning I could step up and play Little League ball. Needless to say, my coaches were not very happy, but they got over it in time.

So for my third season playing baseball, I went over to play Little League ball. Once again, I defected and played for the crosstown baseball team (for which my friend also played - he, too, played on the team for which I enjoyed my very first season). I would say this was my least-favorite season of playing youth baseball. I hardly ever played, had a coach that I didn't have much respect for, and when I did play, I was sent out to play the outfield (again). Definitely nothing worth remembering anymore. If I recall correctly, we did win some games, but we also lost. We probably had a .500 record overall. No where near winning the league title, but still, it was fun.

And for my final year playing Little League ball, I once again played for the crosstown team. This was my absolute favorite year because my friend's dad was the new coach and I was the team's new regular second baseman. At that point in time, I needed glasses to play (but I never regularly wore them like I should have) and wore quite possibly the ugliest glasses ever invented. But hey, they weren't meant to show off, anyways. I remember one game where I forgot my glasses and had to play without them! It was very difficult seeing without them and one particular base hit from the opposing team came right to me! Luckily I had my glove in the hit spot and snagged the ball and threw the guy out at first. From that point on, I NEVER forgot my glasses. The sad part about that season is we lost more games than we won. In fact, I think we only won like three games out of 20. But I tell ya what, we really came together as a team at the end and that's where we did all of our winning. I think we won the final three games of our season. This was also my best season offensively as well; hitting many base hits. I never could hit the ball out of the park, but I could slap a good double down the right field line. It was a fun season and one that I enjoyed the most and remember quite fondly.

After that season, I decided to hang up the sport of baseball for good. I was too old to play another season of Little League and I just did not feel comfortable playing the next level of ball, Senior League. I know my dad was upset at my decision because he's one of those sport's fanatic kind of dad's, but he eventually got over it. Some of my friends continued on with their playing careers but at the time, I had my fill. I really thought that baseball was cramping my style at that point and I could not fully enjoy my summer vacation to its fullest. Now that I think back to those times, I do kind of regret not going on to play Senior League because I am getting older. I should've enjoyed playing baseball and lived in the moment because we certainly don't have those options anymore. At the time I figured I was doing the right thing. But I never did experience the Senior League level and at this point in time, I'll never know what it was like. But looking back on my four years of youth baseball; overall, I think it was a very enjoyable time for me. Even though I hated devoting time to practicing, it did make us do a better job in the games. We played during some very cold afternoons and some hot evenings; we even played a game during our town's homecoming celebration - complete with a PA announcer and the national anthem playing prior to the game. I certainly do have some good memories of those times and ones I hope I never forget (even though a lot of them I have forgotten). Baseball is America's pasttime and it's simply un-American not to play it at some point in life.

Songs I Dig - 4

I find myself in the same situation as last month; although to my credit, I do have one blog in for October. With exactly 10 days left, I need to get some writing done to get at least six blogs in for this month! What a great way to start this latest writing spree of mine than by writing a new "Songs I Dig" blog. That's right, it's that time again. It's a new month and with it brings six new songs that I find rather enjoyable. This time around, one artist will have two songs of his featured in my blog. All in all, I think they are great songs and I hope you find them enjoyable, too. And if you haven't heard them yet, be sure to listen to them on YouTube. You'll always find music videos from a wide variety of artists on there. YouTube is definitely one of my favorite sites on the web these days.

"Apologize" by Timbaland (featuring One Republic) - Last weekend, I ventured out of the state of Michigan and went road-tripping to see my sister in Wisconsin. It's a five-hour drive to her location, so needless to say, I spent a good majority of the time listening to the tunes on the radio. A radio station from Green Bay started playing this tune and I was amazed at the incredible sound of this song. It was something unlike I had heard in a long time. This song has the potential to be the song of the year in 2007; it is really that good. One Republic is the group that originally recorded this song (which is set to be released on their new album), but Timbaland added a few new sounds making this his piece of work. I think he's definitely got a hit on his hands.

"The Way I Are" by Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E., and Sebastian) - I actually heard this song before the trip to Wisconsin on one of the stations that tends to play the more edgier hip-hop songs around here. I had heard of Timbaland before these two songs but I associated him more with rap and hip hop (can you tell I am not a huge fan of these kinds of music?). "Apologize" and this song I found to be pleasant surprises from him. "The Way I Are" has such an incredible beat - it's a song you can find yourself easily dancing to. Timbaland is proving to be an incredible artist for different genres of music.

"Calling You" by Blue October - I was absolutely thrilled when I heard Blue October back on the radio waves because I've been a fan of their music ever since I heard "Hate Me." I thought "Calling You" was a brand new song, but upon further research, it was a song released way back in 2003! So why was it that a radio station around here JUST started playing it? I love the song and it's one I've definitely been singing along to. The same classic sounds of Blue October are present with this song. Come to find out, "Calling You" is being re-released as part of a promotional package featuring songs off their previous album and a live performance. So technically it is not new but certainly new to my ears.

"Straight Lines" by Silverchair - I'll be honest; I can't really say I am all that familiar with this group, even though they have been around for awhile. They're an Australian group that created songs such as "Freak," "Tomorrow," and "Ana's Song." I took a listen to those songs on YouTube and they sounded more hard rock than anything. So needless to say, I am surprised it's the same band that produces this adult-contemporary song. Despite that, I find myself enjoying this song immensly. Like I mentioned before, I like songs that feature interesting beats and lyrics and this one definitely has those. Sounds to me like Silverchair will have their latest hit song here in the United States with "Straight Lines."

"Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Want to be in Love)" by Good Charlotte - Ah, those pop-punk rockers. You gotta love 'em. All along I thought this song was titled "I Don't Want to be in Love," but after referring to their Wikipedia page, it's called "Dance Floor Anthem!" Go figure. Anyways, this is Good Charlotte's latest song from their album "Good Morning Revival." It's certainly a song you'll find yourself rocking out to. I kind of like a song that has the lyric "I don't want to be in love." Because honestly, love leads to break-ups and heartaches. It's a song that deals with real-life circumstances and people can relate to that.

And this month's honorable mention (which will now be a regular feature of my "Songs I Dig" blog) comes to us from KT Tunstall. Her latest song is titled "Hold On." Once again, this was a song I wasn't quite into when I first heard it, but after I heard it more and more, I started liking it. Now I find it to be quite enjoyable. KT Tunstall first achieved her success here in the United States after Katarine McPhee sang her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on American Idol. Ever since, she has reached music star status. I think "Hold On" will do quite well for her.

That wrap's up this month's edition of "The Songs I Dig." Please be sure to catch the latest edition sometime next month or in December (depending on if I hear songs that are worthy of appearing here). Until next time, keep listening to good music! It's definitely out there for all of us to enjoy.

The Changing Seasons

Today is October 4 and we are now in the midst of the fall season. The nights have cooled off, the days are getting shorter, and the leaves are beginning to fall off the trees. However, our days have been rather summerlike. Today, in fact, we reached a record high of 76 degrees. Usually we are in the low 60's. Absolutely gorgeous fall weather and a day one must not spend cooped up inside. Despite the fact of last night being the first midnight shift of this stretch for me; I got an adequate amount of sleep today and journeyed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Because this time of year, you just don't know how long it is going to last.

The area where I live is not really condusive to walking. Yes, it is possible and I have seen many others trot along the street, but it is not that comfortable of an atmosphere for me to go walking in. There are no sidewalks and there's plenty of traffic; so usually when I go for a walk, I take a quick drive near the lakeshore and park the car and take a stroll around nearest the areas of the shore. That is exactly what I did and I was able to experience the many sights and sounds of a city that felt like it was in the midst of a late-spring/summer kind of day and not early fall. The university's sporting complex is rather close to Lake Superior and I noticed a couple of different soccer teams practicing on the soccer fields. Meanwhile, the marching band was busy practicing inside the dome, preparing themselves for this Saturday's football game. I heard children screaming in delight, the sounds of loud thuds from the skateboarding park, and the crashing of water against the shoreline thanks to a brisk wind coming inland. I was definitely not alone as people were out and about enjoying the day just like me.

Even though summer is over, various construction projects are still in full force. Although many of the roads that were ripped up over the summer are completed, a few are sill in the construction phase which meant those lovely detours. A few of the building projects are still ongoing, including the construction of a new bank building just a few blocks away from me. That building has been under construction since early spring and they just do not seem to be in a big hurry to get in completed; not that it really matters to me. And people are still busy mowing their lawns as the rains from last month have really greened things up. I'd say the grass is the greenest its been all season! One condominium complex I walked by had the perfectly manicured lawn and you could even smell all the fertilizers that were used to make this lawn look so beautiful. The smell of that grass was incredible and it felt just like mid-summer.

But as we know all too well around these parts, the weather can change in a hurry. In about a week's time, temperatures are predicted to fall back into the 50's during the days (more typical of October) and the cooler weather is expected to bring us more rain. By then, I'm sure most of the leaves will be off the trees and we'll be busy raking them up. It's not uncommon for the month of October to yield snow, either. I remember a few storms that have dumped as much as a foot of snow during the tenth month of the year, although usually it tends to melt pretty quickly this time of year. One such year I remember having a deep snowcover on Halloween! I sure hope the snow holds off until the end of the year.

So no matter what, there's no excuse not to head outside during such a fantastic stretch of weather. Even if only spend just one hour outside; at least you're enjoying it in some way. As long as it doesn't rain, I know I will be spending time outside all this week. Because one thing is for sure, things will be a lot different a month from now.

Detroit Tigers 2007 Season

The 2007 Major League Baseball regular season is winding down with the season officially wrapping up on Sunday for most teams. However, eight lucky teams get the chance for a post-season title. Unfortunately, the Detroit Tigers will not be one of those teams this year. After a magical 2006 season that saw the Tigers earning their first winning season in 12 years and getting to the World Series for the first time in 22 years, this season saw the team getting just short of a playoff berth. With less than a week left to the season, the Tigers were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Yes, even though it's pretty disappointing to see the team not make the playoffs after last year's amazing run, I am still pretty proud of their efforts and glad that they can at least compete to be in the playoffs. At least it isn't like the 12 seasons prior to 2006 when the Tigers were out of the playoff hunt at the All Star Break.

There were a few contributing factors as to why the Tigers fell short of being in the playoffs this year. A number of key players got injured during the course of the season, including members of the pitching staff. Kenny Rogers, who had a tremendous 2006 season and pitched incredibly in the playoffs, ended up missing four months at the beginning of the year due to a blood clot in his shoulder. He then missed most of August because of a sore shoulder. Joel Zumaya, the flame-throwing set-up guy who frequently hits 100 mph on the radar gun, missed three months because of an injury to his middle finger on his pitching hand that required surgery. Fernando Rodney, a similar hard-throwing pitcher that throws in the late innings also ended up on the disabled list for a short time. Gary Sheffield, a player for whom the Tigers were expecting to contribute largely for his hitting in the designated hitter role, also missed time because of shoulder problems. Although a team never likes to admit that injuries ended up playing a key role in why a team falters, I think it's safe to assume that the Tigers were affected by injuries this year.

The team also went through a terrible funk at the end of July and all of August that saw them lose the AL Central division lead and their title as best team in baseball (which they were for awhile prior to the All-Star game). The starting pitching wasn't as stellar and the hits weren't coming as easy. They were losing more than they were winning and coupled by the injury bug, it proved to be a losing stretch that they were never able to recover from. Yes, they did start turning things around in September, but it was already too late. Both the Yankees and Indians went on an incredible tear and it was just too difficult to compete with both of those teams. Now if the Tigers were in the National League, things might be different. But unfortunately, they are not. They have to deal with being in the more superior league in professional baseball.

But 2007 wasn't a major disappointment just because they didn't make the playoffs. Several important acheivements were reached (or are in the process of being reached). Magglio Ordonez is currently the batting average leader and has his sights on the American League batting title. With three games remaining, it's going to be extremely diffcult for Ichiro Suzuki, a Seattle Mariners player that is also competing for the batting title, to catch Magglio with just three games remaining. The last time I checked, Ichiro is .010 behind Magglio. And for those that don't follow baseball, it doesn't seem like that large of a gap. But this late in the season, it takes a lot to make up .010. So it is very likely that Magglio will be this year's American League batting champion. What an incredible feat for one of the Tigers most important free agent signings ever.

Pudge Rodriguez surpassed the record for the most games played as a catcher, solidifying his importance to this team and his spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame when he retires. Placido Polanco has an error-less streak of 170+ games (and still counting) at second base. He is also four hits short of reaching 200 hits in a season, which Magglio Ordonez has already reached. He is likely to reach 200 before all is said and done. Curtis Granderson, the Tigers centerfielder, is the sixth player in baseball history to have 20 homeruns, 20 triples, 20 doubles, and 20 stolen bases in one season. Todd Jones, the Tigers closing pitcher, recorded his 300 career save in a game against the Minnesota Twins earlier this month. And last but not least, probably the most important of all of these acheivements, the Tigers had 3,000,000+ fans attend games at Comerica Park (the Tigers home stadium) for the first time in franchise history. The franchise dates back to more than 100 years! This is even more impressive considering that Comerica Park is some 10,000 seats smaller than Tiger Stadium was, and the last attendance record dated back to 1984 when 2.7 million fans attended the home games. This goes to show you how excited and loyal the fans are for this Tigers team. They are as thrilled as ever to have a competing baseball team again, after a 12 year stretch of mediocrity.

Although I am disappointed not to be able to bring you post season blogs regarding Tigers playoff games this year, I am still proud of the Tigers for a wonderful 2007 season. This team looks to compete for the playoffs for many years to come and hopefully one of these seasons, they will bring home a championship. Although it did not happen this year, it certainly doesn't mean they had a dull year. It was anything but! Always and forever, go Tigers!

Songs I Dig - 3

September is nearly in the books, which means another edition of "The Songs I Dig" is here! This time around, I have picked a wider variety of songs and have even included an honorable mention selection. So that means a total of six songs will be featured. Also this time around, there's an even split down the middle in regards to gender; meaning three female singers and three male singers (or groups - but the lead singer being male/female) with songs featured. I happen to enjoy these songs whenever I hear them and I hope you do, too. And hopefully if you haven't heard them yet, maybe you'll check them out. On with this month's selections!

"Over You" by Daughtry - An American Idol hopeful a few years ago has become a huge star. I had a feeling Chris Daughtry would experience this kind of success when he was eliminated during the fifth season of the popular singing competition and he continues to release a succession of hits. "Over You" will prove to be the next #1 song for Chris's group. I even think it'll surpass the success of his two previous songs "It's Not Over" and "Home," because it is that good. This one should be on the air waves for quite some time to come. It's a different sounding tune from his previous hits but still has that familar Daughtry rock sound to it.

"Nolita Fairytale" by Vanessa Carlton - It is so good to see Vanessa releasing music again! She has been one of my favorites ever since she burst on the scene with her smashing hit "1000 Miles." Another song of hers that I enjoy tremendously to this day is "Ordinary Day," and I think it has a very similar sound to "Nolita Fairytale." Vanessa has experienced some tough times leading up to this recent album including being dropped from her previous record label after the release of "Harmonium" back in 2004. But I am happy to say she has found a new record label that is happy to release her latest album. Here's to Vanessa experiencing the same kind of success as in 2002!

"1973" by James Blunt - When I first heard the newest song released by James Blunt, I was not that impressed. However, this song has grown tremendously on me ever since it hit the radio. It has yet to gain the popularity of his very first song "You're Beautiful," but it's on its way. It's a completely different sounding song than the ones you'd hear from his first album, as "1973" is more upbeat sounding and a song you could dance along to. It's got repetitive lyrics that makes it easy to sing along to. All in all, this latest tune by James Blunt is pretty decent and nobody should be ashamed to be a fan of his music.

"Pictures of You" by The Last Goodnight - Now here's a relative newcomer to the music scene. Although they have been around since 1996, their latest album "Poison Kiss" is their first major release. "Pictures of You" is a solemn-sounding tune with a definite pop/adult contemporary sound. It has been growing increasingly popular and has started to climb various music charts. At first I didn't really care for the sound of this song, however, just as with "1973," it has grown tremendously on me. It's been on the radio waves for at least a few months and I think it'll stick around for quite some time.

"So Uncool" by Lucy Walsh - Yikes, I had a difficult time choosing whether this song or another song would round out the top five in this month's "The Songs I Dig" blog. But I have decided to go with this one, because it is incredibly catchy! When you hear it once, you'll have it stuck in your head for part of the day - until you can manage to get another song stuck in your head. The chorus is the part that gets stuck in your head because it is so repetitive. But it's not annoyingly repetitive, at least I don't think so. This is a relatively new song to hit the radio so many people may not have heard it yet. But I think it'll be one that'll gain popularity the rest of this year.

"Seven Days of Lonely" by I Nine - This is this month's honorable mention selection (simply because I had six songs that I really enjoyed this time around). It's a very sweet sounding song that's easy on the ears. It's another one that has recently been released so it may be new to many of you as well. I don't really know too much about the group yet, other than they are based from Columbia, South Carolina. But I have a feeling we may be hearing more from them in the near future.

That does it for this month. You may not see another "Songs I Dig" blog until November, depending on the amount of new songs that get released and ones I end up liking. Until then, check out the following six songs if you haven't heard them yet and you may end up liking them just as much as me. Thanks!

A Neighbor's View (Story)

"I watch her from my bedroom window as she moves about outside the house next door. She doesn't come outside that often, but when she does, my eyes are afixed on her. There's something about her that I can't put my finger on. She's mesmerizing and there's something almost hypnotic about her. I have never talked to her face to face, but it's as if I've known her a long time. I go about my business and she does the same, but I want to make conversation with her and I don't exactly know how I go about it. She walks back inside and becomes hidden behind the walls of her house and I go back to what I was doing; no longer paying attention to her.

"A car travels up the nextdoor driveway; a white Buick. It's her and her sister. I watch as the two exit the car and lift plastic bags from the trunk of their car. I don't pay attention to the sister as she does not interest me. The younger one seems to rotate the same clothes every few days. I feel bad for her. She's a very nice looking girl and deserves to have nice clothing to show herself off in. She doesn't appear to care to go to college at all; I'm not sure if she just can't afford it or would rather not attend at all. Maybe she just wants to be a homemaker all her life and take care of kids. Now I'm just making assumptions. She slowly climbs up the front steps of the house and vanishes behind the front door. I go back to what I was doing; no longer paying attention to her.

"I'm outside working on a project in the backyard when I hear a front door slam. There she is again, taking care of the dogs. I have to go inside for a moment and take my eyes off her. She goes well to the back of her property, while I go get a drink inside. She goes inside and I go back out. Suddenly I hear a cat meowing on our property. It ends up being hers. I pet it and it purrs. It rubs its head against my legs and it won't leave my side. It's a very friendly cat but I know it must go back to its home. I enter the garage and close the door; leaving the cat behind. I think it knows enough to go back to its home as it's not very far away. I go inside for awhile; head back outside to finish up my project for the day. She comes back outside, looking for her cat. It has gone missing and she goes searching for it. I, too, search for it on our property. I never did find it. I feel bad and hope it returns home. I had my chance to return it, but relied on its instincts instead. I go inside for the night and no longer pay attention to her.

"I'm driving back home after a couple hours of mowing lawn. Home is not that far away; about a mile or so. I'm sweaty and my clothes are soaked as it's been a warm day. I make the turn and see someone walking a dog. It's her, looking as good as ever. I think about pulling over and seeing if she'd like a lift back home. But then I see the large bookshelf I put in the front seat of my car and realize there's no room for her. Plus I'd have to bring home a dog, too. It wouldn't work either way. So I just drive right by. She doesn't have that far to go, anyways. I imagine the dog needed a walk. I keep driving towards my destination; no longer paying attention to her."

THE END

A Year of Adventures in this Apartment

I have lived in my current apartment for over a year now and all in all, it's been a positive experience. I haven't had any major mechanical problems occur, the neighbors are generally problem-free (although I'll add more to that in a bit), and I live right in the heart of the city, close to any kind of store, business, or restaurant. I have been a witness to some pretty strange events at times, however, and some of those experiences I will share with you. Not only that, but something that has developed lately that is driving me insane.

A pet peeve of mine is when someone exits or enters the apartment building the same time as you going in the opposite direction and not even making eye contact or leaving the door open for you. That has happened to be on a couple occasions here and it bugged the crap out of me. I mean, talk about rude. Generally that occurs with the younger, college-aged people that live here (and I think a few of them have moved out over the past year). I don't care whether the person is in a huge rush and is late for an engagement (more often than not, they are in a hurry to the bar anyways). How much extra time does it take to say hi or leave the door open for you? Not even 15 seconds! The majority of the time, though, I usually don't run into anybody going in the opposite direction as I.

One neighbor of mine that lives across the hall from me is an older gentleman, probably in his 50's. I haven't really dealt with him much, but on a couple of occasions I've bumped into him. He doesn't seem like the friendliest person in the world. He does seem to get frequent visitors and even a young girl stays with him at times (I'm guessing it's a grand daughter of his). Her bicycle is even sitting out in the hallway as I type, where it's parked pretty much all of the time (which I think should be stored in his apartment if she's not around). There have been a couple of nights where he's drunker than a skunk and he's got the music cranked up really loud. It generally doesn't bother me because I usually sleep with ear plugs anyways, but I hate to be living above or next to him. And it's not like it happens all of the time, just once in a great while. Still, it's the middle of the night and he's got the music blaring (one night, it was country songs) and he's singing along, quite terribly. I have to wonder if he's been smoking dope during those nights, too. And don't park too closely in front of the steps of the building, either. Otherwise he'll go on a profanity-laced tirade, in front of his grand daughter, no less (which I witnessed one time, seeing that my window is right near the front door). Just stay out of his way, is my best advice.

Another incident occured probably in May of this year. A younger couple, probably early 20's, was coming home from a night at the bar. The guy was driving, and the girl was incredibly drunk. She stumbled out of the car and was sicker than a dog. All of a sudden, she leans ontop of the hood of her car and starts throwing up. And naturally, they had to park right in front of my window, although I did have my blinds closed. But hearing the commotion, I had to see what was going on. So I did catch the tail end of what she was doing, with her boyfriend helping her into the building after she puked outside. And don't you think if something like that happened to you that you would clean up the puke the next day or the next opportunity when you felt better (something as simple as throwing a bucket of water on it)? Well she didn't. The next day, crows were even picking at it. The puke stayed on her car and on the sidewalk until it was washed away by rain. I don't think I had ever been more disgusted at the human race after being a witness to that ordeal. I just can't believe some people can be so piggy and disgusting. She basically swept the incident under the rug and probably thought no one else knew it was her. That's where she was wrong. Thankfully, she has since moved out of the building.

Now recently, someone's smoking has been driving me crazy. I don't know if it's been the people in the apartment next to me (which I know they smoke) or the person above me. But the smoke smell wafts into my apartment and it really starts bothering me. I even smell it during the middle of the night and it's hard for me to sleep when I smell it. I don't mean anything negative to anyone reading this who might smoke, but I wish the people who live in this building could at least wait until the next morning to light up a smoke rather than to do it during the middle of the night when people are asleep. The smoke smell hasn't been a problem for me up until the last couple of months. And it's not like it's an everyday occurance, but it does happen two to three days a week (and sometimes more).

One final incident occured in the fall of last year. A younger couple must've had a disagreement of some sort and the guy locked the girl out of the apartment upstairs. She was knocking, beating on the door, crying and pleading for the guy to let her back in, but he wouldn't let her. This went on for up to a half hour before finally the old guy across the hall from me shouted, "shut the f--- up!" He never seems to be afraid to say what's on his mind.

So there you have it, some of the most note-worthy situations in this apartment building during the last year and two months. My goal is to stay here until at least next summer or fall, and then start looking for a permanent place of residence. That's when the house hunting will begin and then I'll have a place all to myself. But until then, I'll stay situated in this building. Like I said, it isn't all bad. The majority of the time, things are pretty peaceful and I never seemed to be bothered. It definitely could be a lot worse.

A Small Town Closure

As some of you may know, I grew up in a small town; population of around 300 people. I know some people consider living in a small town to be a drag, because many of the people are like your neighbors and there's not a whole lot to do. But to be honest, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else when I was younger. It provided a great upbringing and I always found something to do. You develop a great loyalty to that place, even though you may not live there regularly anymore, which I don't. However, I frequently visit and continue to keep up with everything that happens there. Not a lot goes on, but when something does, you tend to hear about it pretty quickly.

In the past month, the local gas station in town shut down. It's been in the community for a long time and everybody has bought gas there at some time or another. Yes, gas does tend to be more expensive there than the larger populated areas nearby, but when you live some distance away from those places, you don't really have much choice than to fuel up there. And if you need a small amount of gas for a lawn mower, it sure beats driving miles down the road. It provides a great convenience for the community and the tourists driving by. And they didn't just sell gas, either, but many other items. Now there is doubt that it will ever reopen again.

According to talk around town, a gas line started leaking fuel into the ground. It's unknown how long it had leaked and the extent of the pollution, but it sounds it could be significant enough to where they may have to demolish the building. It appears the fuel even got under the building. A small co-op store a couple miles up the road had a similar problem 15 years ago and ended up shutting down for good. The costs for such a clean-up are quite expensive. They never tore down the building, but they had to excavate much of the polluted soil around the building. Plus they built a pollution monitoring station for the ground water and drilled many different wells. Something very similar could end up happening at this most recent case. And it's unfortunate it had to close down, because it has always done good business.

The business went under new ownership earlier this year and the new people seemed to be making some real positive changes with the store. They were putting some money into the place by doing a small amount of remodeling and rearranging the store. You hate to see someone who just moved into the area end up shutting down because of something like this. Usually it's because of finances or radical changes that turn people away. But this is an environmental issue and something that will likely take a long time to get fixed. When it's something like pollution, state environmental agencies will be on your back making sure everything is right before it's even possible to start selling gas. And what will hurt the most is that this business won't have a presense in our community for some time to come, if ever again.

As I mentioned earlier, the store ended up closing down about two to three weeks ago, so many of the details are still unknown. But when you live in a small town, you end up finding out one way or another. I'm sure this will be very much the same. Who knows exactly what will end up happening. Maybe the pollution is only minor and it'll take a few weeks to clean up. However, that's probably the best case scenario and usually it never ends up being that way. Time will tell and if we end up being without this gas station, maybe someone else in the community will step up and build a new store. You never know what will end up happening in a situation like this.