Archive for the 'Music' Category

Published by Tai on 24 Aug 2010

I can tell that we are gonna be friends

Mood: Chagrined – with a soupçon of resignation. I had a series of embarrassing moments in the last two weeks – all involving someone quite nice. They’re not a big deal – mostly just me looking ridiculous. And in the grand weather pattern of embarrassing moments in my life, they are but a gentle breeze in comparison to the typhoons of mortification I have experienced and no doubt will experience in the future.

First words today: No idea. It’s almost midnight, and the only reason I’m awake is because I’m waiting for my laundry to dry and my bread rolls to rise. It was a long and busy and incredibly productive day, and I really love that feeling of going to bed knowing that you eked out all you could from the hours allotted to you.

(Note: At this point, I fell asleep kneeling by my bed, forehead on spacebar and drool accumulating on trackpad. All that eke-ing wore me out. I woke up in time to go check on the bread rolls, but the rest of this post was finished the next day, which is now the true today. Or whatever.)

Considering: this Ambrose Redmoon quote: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”

Self Improvement: I’m getting things together, keeping up with laundry, working on keeping the house nicer, and trying to get more sleep. Tomorrow I start getting up early to go walk. If it lasts longer than a day, I’ll let you know. I’ve only ever been able to sustain a night time workout regime – but I hear good things about the morning workout. Dang, that was boring. Moving on.

Want: I still need new clothes – I don’t know that I’m loving my style right now. But I just did a quick search of retailers, and either I was looking in the wrong places, or I just don’t like any clothes right now. (Nudism, you might ask? So drafty.) All I want to wear is jeans, hoodies and chucks – not exactly the look of a professional. Not to mention the fact that it does nothing to help my figure – it has the rough effect of turning me into a gender free zone. I did find this ensemble on the J.Crew website though. You think a slouchy shirt and sequined pants would look good on me? HEY, ME TOO.

I dreamed: So I have this thing with dreams – I have to find what I’m dreaming plausible, or my brain just won’t go along with it. So it says something about my optimism about relationships that my psyche will allow dreams about competing in the Winter Olympics but refuses to let me dream about anything romantic. (FYI, it was ice skating, and all the professionals died in a freak accident and they had to air something, and I was the next best thing.) Freud would gnaw his own beard off out of sheer boredom if forced to analyse me. I may have slept through all the chastity talks in church, but my subconscious was wide awake and taking copious notes – which it then typed out and forwarded to all departments and taped up in the break room (of my brain).

Cooking: I stayed up late last night and made barbecue pulled pork and big, fat, buttery dinner rolls. Both were fine, nothing to write home about. But I loved, loved, loved being up late in the kitchen, the night air whispering through the window, and the rest of the neighborhood quiet. I loved methodically wiping down the counters, checking on the rolls in the oven, and finally, a few minutes after midnight, having the fruits of my labor right in front of me. Glorious.

Listening: This will surprise you, but I’ve been listening to a fair amount of country lately – the Dixie Chicks phase I was in kind of led into this – that, and oddly, Fleetwood Mac. Well, actually that totally makes sense, because I love the song “Landslide” and while Stevie Nicks is brilliant, I like the Dixie Chick’s version better. Is that heresy? Anyway, so I’ve been letting the country ooze in, mostly in the form of Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. Here’s the thing about country music – (incidentally, should I be capitalizing Country Music?) – it is so unabashedly romantic and gushy and heartbroken and bighearted and just… American. It makes me think of all the big, tough men I know that listen to it, and that makes me want to poke them a little, and see if the marshmallow fluff pops out. Because that’s totally adorable.

Reading: Race Matters, by Cornel West.

Blogs: I’ve been reading a lot of food blogs lately, with Tartelette being my favorite, but there are so many amazing ones, inlcuding Eggbeater, Sunday Suppers, and the very lovely Canelle et Vanille.

What I’m wearing: I’m still not sure about this category, and I’m afraid it’s by far the most boring part of these entries. I always wear black pants, and I’m usually wearing black flats. Although – speaking of black flats, if you’ve seen me at all this summer, you’ll know that I’ve become ridiculously attached to these black laser cut flats from Target. These shoes were an early casualty of the days back when I kept having to chase the puppy down and screech “NO, NO, NO, YOU FREAKISH MONGREL!” at her while brandishing a chewed shoe. My big toe actually pokes through on the left one. Has this stopped me from wearing them? I laugh heartily, because no, it hasn’t. (Do you see now how I can lean toward looking homeless?) I have stopped wearing them to church – at least, sacrament meeting, etc. To ward prayer and other activities the shoes do indeed go (if you don’t know what ward prayer is, and think it sounds like a religious insane asylum – you… are not far off).

I got totally side tracked there. I’m wearing a purple top, black pants and holey black flats. Yawn. But I don’t look homeless.

Song of the day: I wanted to post Landslide – but I just watched the music video, and beyond being full of disturbingly bad CGI, there are also black choker necklaces and staggering amounts of eye makeup. So, I’m going to go with this instead – because, guess what, we are going to be friends!

PS. I love Jack White.

Published by Tai on 29 Jul 2010

Oh so pretty

Published by Tai on 28 Jul 2010

It’s about darn time

Mood: I feel a bit beat up.

First words today: “I saw you last night,” to my boss in a whisper as I walked by her desk this morning. I’m not creepy at all. (Had to then explain that I saw my boss driving in the opposite direction on State street).

Considering: Getting in my car, and driving far far away.

Coming up this weekend: Let’s see – Friday night? Oh, I’m free. Saturday? Yup… nothing on the schedule. Do you know what this means? It means hell has frozen over, and you should call me so we can go ice skating.

Self Improvement: I’m shrinking. Horizontally, anyway. If i get shorter, I’ll be alarmed. Thinner, I’ll take. I’m at the awkward phase of needing new clothes, but not being thin enough to fit into the next size down. Give it another week or two.

Want: New clothes.

Also these porcelain bowls, by Samantha Robinson.

And this ring from Kate Spade:

I dreamed: That I was processing my day – and literally I ran the code – like a system hardware check. Odd.

Cooking: It’s too hot to cook, really. I made salmon and orrechiete (my favorite pasta – it means little ears) the other night. On Sunday I’ll make potstickers – and I have an entire treasure trove of CSA vegetables that need to be used and eaten. Sooo many greens – maybe I’ll make collard greens. Maybe a whole southern meal – collard greens, biscuits, fried chicken or pulled pork, etc.

Also – I’ve found a recipe for Cafe Rio’s Pork Barbacoa. Gots to try it.

Listening: Honestly? Dixie Chicks. And Bonnie Raitt, Sonny & the Sunsets, Etta James, Sarah Jaffe, and as always, Radiohead.

If you’re looking for some good church music – you have some good stuff to look forward to. The Lower Lights are coming out with an album soon – a hymn revival – classic hymns with a great Americana folksy feel. I’ll post more soon.

Reading: The Help, by Katherine Stockett, American Prometheus, (a bio of J. Robert Oppenheimer) by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, 1776, by David McCullough

Blogs: Dooce has been in fine form recently, on her own and with some awesome guest posts by Sarah over at Que Sera Sera. Courtney at c jane enjoy it has been a favorite for a while now, and I find myself gettting antsy when she doesn’t write. Same goes for Livi over at Strumblings.

What I’m wearing: NOT A CARDIGAN. That’s right. It happens. Also, I was early to work. That happened too.

Song of the day: Florence and the Machine – Swimming

Published by Tai on 25 May 2010

Up to all sorts of good

I was in New York City last weekend, and it fed my soul and broadened my horizons. I love that town.

I spent the night at the JFK airport. It was actually kind of an adventure, and I met such nice people.

I keep accumulating good jewelry.

I bought two new purses. One silver, one grey. They are perfect.

I ate ridiculously good food in New York, including pizza – THREE times.

I joined an unsuccessful wild asparagus hunt. I feel that wild asparagus should be on Google maps – so much so that I repeatedly tried to find it using Google maps.

I ate lobster ravioli. Which is crazy amazing, but easy to overdose on.

I discovered this ditch with an irrigation canal in it.

I ate sprouted wheat bread that Carlyn made. It’s AMAZING. I particularly like it toasted.

I bought new sheets, pillows, pillow cases, duvet and duvet cover. I’ve never slept so well in my life.

I went to the Provo Farmer’s Market, where Carlyn has her booth. If you’re in town, check it out – 8 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. It’s so cool!


I bought five non-matching lamps from DI and will be painting them white, when I get a chance to breathe.

I misplaced my Nikon. I’m freaking out.

I bought an ice cream maker!

I finally discovered the perfect eyeliner (Maybelline waterproof liquid eyeliner). It does NOT smudge.

I went on the best drive of my life. It was through Mapleton, Utah. You read that correctly – Maptleton. I was grinnning like an idiot the entire time.

I took lots and lots and lots of pictures – with my iphone. (See missing Nikon)

I am going to Oregon and Washington this weekend! I have GOT to find my camera before then. I’ve been waiting my whole life to see the Pacific Northwest and I am GOING to take pictures. (I was born there, my parents moved when I was a week old, and I haven’t been back. It’s time.)

I became slightly obsessed with this song. THAT IS A WOMAN, and she sounds like a man. Awesome.

Published by Tai on 20 May 2010

Which will you love the best?

I have so much to blog about. So much has happened! I promise I’ll tell you all about everything.

But until then, please be patient, chill – and listen to this song. (Which Will – Nick Drake)

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