Music Monday

Uhh. I was trying to avoid this but...

Pat Jorache with "Get it"
Does anyone remember when I said I don't always like the best music? I don't. I know that but for some reason some songs just get stuck in my head. I have no information on this band, this song, or how I heard it but for unexplained reason... I like it.

Until next time, I know you're gonna get it.

EO

Music Monday

I listened to CBC radio's "The Signal" yesterday and within 20 minutes I stumbled upon the following song and band. I have hardly stopped listening to it in the past 24 hours; whether playing it over the computer or in my mind I have hardly stopped listening to it. I forgot that The Signal does that for me, that I can be innocently killing time by listening when suddenly I am thrust into full blown song mania. Love it.

The band Typhoon is an Oregon based band with a unique and unfortunate quality; the lead singer is dying. As a child he contracted Lyme disease and spent his entire adolescence unconscious, in hospital, medicated, etc. His father donated a kidney to him and now that is failing too. A quote from a letter the lead singer wrote to his fans:

        When we started working on White Lighter, I had reason to believe that it would be the last

        thing I ever did. It is now six months since being finished. I'm still here and there is still work

        to be done.

The reality of the lead singer has lead to a driving and introspective style. The intensity of lyric, pace, and imagery is impressive and, to me, a joy to listen to. It is refreshing to hear.

This is Typhoon with Artificial Light:

Until next time, keep getting bigger too. EO

School again

I attended a school orientation this weekend in Vancouver. I felt very encouraged. The program is focused on creating successful clinical counselors and has a very good reputation for this in the community. All faculty are required to be currently practicing counselors and many of the current faculty we were introduced to are prolific within the counseling community. I was impressed to see the variety of personalities, interests, and specialties the faculty and alumni possessed as well as the individuals in my program. The school shies away from the student/professor ideology of teach and prefers more the trainee/supervisor model with the end goal of being colleagues once we graduate. I thought this was a good way to look at it.

Another focus of the program that I thought was very good was the quality of peer to peer learning. We were encouraged to heavily invest in the other program participants during our time and after. This of course comes with a degree of difficulty as many students know the chaos that group projects bring but I think it is a good learning tool, especially in a field that is highly focused on human relationships. There are about 13 people in the group and there were funny connections between some people. I knew one ladies husband from my time at CBC and others knew this person or that person etc.

I my first day of classes will be on September 28. I am still not quite sure to expect but I am excited to get going.

Music Monday

Hello again. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was action packed and excellent.

James Blake anyone? This song is a synthesized dream with a good beat. Speaking of dreaming; have you ever had a recurring dream that continues to wake you up throughout the night? I experienced that last night. I woke over and over and over again. At first it was because we had a major storm blow through starting at about mid-night but in the quieter ours of the morning I dreamt of black widow spiders crawling in the bed. Creepy.

Anyway here is James Blake with Retrograde

Until next give your Retro's an A+ EO

Employed!

I was offered a job this week. I will be a key worker at a transitional housing facility in town. It will basically combine my employment at KGM. Part of the job will consist of being a presence in the building with the other part doing some casework with ten individuals. The goal of the casework is to help and individual advance toward independent housing. I am excited to get to work.

I am very pleased. It is nice to know that I have an income and employment that is advantageous to my schedule in what I am seeking to accomplish in the next few years. It is nice to be a financially productive member of the household again. Very pleased.

The only downside is that it will be shift work. Back to evenings. The nice thing is that it rotates between days and evenings so I will not always be gone at inconvenient times. All in all it isn't the worst downside.

Our summer is slowly dwindling. The evenings are starting to cool down and the mornings are chili. Being directly in the sun is still hot and the beach is still an option but it is not scorching throughout the day which I find quite pleasant. With the change in season I am hoping that we will actually have some time to be at home. We haven't had a day at home since we moved in. It is nice to be busy but I do look forward to slowing down, getting into a routine, and knowing what to expect from the time I have.

I have some things planned for the fall that I would like to accomplish that include making my own beer, bread, and sauerkraut. I'd also love to be able to read a few books outside of school. I've been feeling really guilty lately because I have not been reading at all. I went from reading daily to reading nothing and I don't have the discipline right now to get back into it. I really hope it does not continue.

Music Monday

Wow. I don't think that Ashley and I stopped moving since last Monday. What a week. We have been busy with moving but this time we were unfortunately helping our friends to move away. They are a huge part of our lives here and it is sad to see them go.

At these moments in life, when I feel taxed in so many ways, that a song or an artist seems to come back to my memory. I like how music does that for me. In some circumstances a song just will not do. In others it is a perfect fit for what is needed. This week, right now, the need is to slow down just a moment and yet continue on. There is always much more to do.

Yet again Radiohead provides a musical interlude to a busy week. An interlude to insanity; a break from busyness; a pause.

This is Radiohead with their song Codex


Here's hoping that whatever is going on, this song provides you with some fresh air. Until next time keep your water clear... and innocent. EO