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!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
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.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, December 10, 2007
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.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
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.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
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.
Monday, December 03, 2007
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.
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!
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