Monday, August 26, 2013

Music Monday

Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!

I don't remember how I heard this song but it was very recent. You've probably known about it for years but to me it is brand new. I enjoy Peter Gabriel's music; he always has a way to make it different and interesting. Perhaps its the synthetic drums?

In particular I like the driving beat to this song. It is provided by the drums but accentuated by the synthesizers at the end of each line.
This song was written by Peter regarding a "spiritual experience" he had on top of Solsbury Hill. Sometimes I wish my life was exciting.

Until next time, keep your heart boom boom booming.

EO

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Our Fifth Anniversary!

It was our fifth anniversary yesterday. Five! Time continues to show its dynamic qualities. When I look back at our five years it seems to have passed by fast but, when I think hard and squint my eyes just enough, I can think back to when I was looking forward from five years ago. I can remember thinking of five years from then as unfathomable; not in quantity but in experience. There was potential for every possibility. Nothing was clear because there were so many possibilities clouding the path as if each were a pane of glass placed one behind the other slowly distorting all vision.

Now I have a unique view of the past five years. I can see both the future from the past and the past from the future. I can look from all points to one point and from one point to all points. Each of these informs the others with its own unique texture and they are all linked together like keys on a ring. Each softly and continuously repeats its story to me, waiting for something to push my attention toward it.

Today my attention is pushed to the past five years. I examine the events individually and I feel the textures they possess both pleasant and painful, significant and menial. I hear the stories and they collectively affirm that, in Ashley, I made a good decision.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Music Monday!

Hi. Do you know about music Monday? Its been traveling the world but its back for more.

This is Mumford and Sons... also a number of other bands, all singing "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show... actually its really by Bob Dylan but he never actually released the song and then Old Crow Medicine Show filled in the blanks and made it big.

I like this song for precisely the reason this video is so much fun. It is almost made to be sung collaboratively. Everyone can pitch in and it is so so catchy. I think its a little weird to hear an Britain sing American twangy folk but what they hey right?

Until next time keep your wheels greased!

EO

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Keeping busy

I am mostly unemployed at the moment. It has actually been almost a month that I've been back without a job and it is quite nice to be a house husband with a "sugar mamma" taking care of me. I run errands, go shopping, cook meals, do the laundry, make lists. I'm a great list maker. The trouble with the lists that I've been making is that it requires final decisions to be made and there are a lot of them to do. What color towels, what kind of furniture, which vacuum, where can we find that at, what happened to our... how much have we spent already? Decisions seem to digress quickly into variables and these are all like little stop signs on the path to getting things done.

There are little tricks to making a house more comfortable. I never knew them until our most recent house sitting adventure. The house was very well organized; everything was in the most practical place that it could have been in. If we needed anything all we had to do was think for a minute of where it should be and low and behold there it was! There were also little tricks like finding a plastic tray for underneath the toaster. Here I've been getting crumbs all over the place for years when all it takes is a tray. Floor mats too make a huge difference not only for feet but also in keeping the place clean. Putting one in front of the fridge, at the stove, by the sink, etc. makes the spills from going on the floor. I believe these are called "life hacks" and I am sure that I will keep my eyes peeled for more.

Yesterday Ashley and I went on a walk up a hill. We discovered a lake (pond really) up the way from us. It is a gorgeous walk but there has been a lot of recent development along with what is obviously planned for the future. Most of the area is in some stage of building. The houses are huge, the yards are little, and the pond is full of mosquitoes. Non-the-less, it is still a gorgeous walk. There are even signs that say "turtle crossing april-sept". I hope to see a turtle or two before our time here is over; in fact I did see one but it was squished flat and dried out on the side of the road. Sad.

An interesting tidbit, today I went to check my email at yahoo and saw what looked to be a picture that Ashley took on our trip. It was in fact a picture of the island of Koh Tao at the very beach we frequented on our trip. The article was entitled "cheapest places to retire" and was all about the permanent residence policies of Southeast Asia Countries. It was fun to see that picture.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Lion Air

Funny ol' world ain't it?

This is a news story about Lion Air whom we flew with while we were in Indonesia. They had just had the landing incident that the story references when we were there and now they've had more issues. I am glad no one was injured but I chuckle at the story.

In other news Ashley and I have been busy moving, at weddings, visiting family in Washington, working (Ashley), and moving, and moving, and moving. We unpacked boxes and ran errands for essential household needs yesterday. When we were ready to take a break we realized that we had no furniture to sit upon. Annoying! We got rid of a many of our belongings when we left for traveling and now we need to fill the space. We do not want to buy the first things that we see but we also need a place to sit. What a conundrum.

If you hear nothing from our end of the world in the next few days do not panic, we do not have internet connection yet. Hopefully this will be taken care of soon but you never know.