Have you ever noticed that some people are partial to female voices, while some are partial to male? Though I love a practiced male voice, I’ve always been obsessed with, influenced by, and smitten with female singers.
These are my favorite female singers right now:
– Kori Gardner. She makes up half of Mates of State alongside her husband, Jason Hammel. Her voice does this: It pops. Each note is separate, each word stands alone. It’s impressive to have that breath control when singing as fast-tempo as she typically does.
– Jasmine van den Bogaerde. Her stage name is Birdy, and her version of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love,” has helped me to realize that though I don’t like Bon Iver much, it’s a really well-written song. She’s also got an incredible cover of White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. Her voice does this: It leads. My first vocal coach when I was teenager told me that while I sing, I should pretend like I’m painting a wall, even allowing my hand to gracefully mime-stroke the paintbrush in the air. Why? Because singing is visual. Birdy’s voice sounds like she’s painting a wall. It’s graceful, and each note leads to the next.
– Jessica Leplon. She’s the female voice behind the Morning Of. She’s ridiculous, as she sings high and beautifully against distorted guitars and full drum sets. Her voice does this: It soars. Seriously, have a listen… As cheesy or cliché as that sounds, it’s the only word I can think of when I hear her.
I could probably go on forever, but I’ll leave it at three. I hope you’ll listen to the songs, maybe they’ll touch you as they do me. Who are some of your favorite artists? Who influences you?
Back to the root of what this blog was originally intended for, let’s talk about music.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got some type of music going constantly. Everything around me calls for a song. Right now? I’ve got Spotify going in my earbuds, Avett Brothers playing at the moment.
In fact, here’s what forcefully led me to write a post. I couldn’t contain myself this evening driving back to work after running home to check on my dog. It’s not even a new song. It’s not even a new feeling it handed to me.
No matter how many times I hear the song, I’m knocked off my feet by one moment. It’s that instance in a song where everything inside of me turns to mush and I want to cry, vomit, hug someone, and sing at the top of my lungs.
“Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.” It’s from an Avett Brothers song, and I can’t deny the power it has over me.
I’m flooded with images of my family when I hear this line. I see my grandfather on my mother’s side, watching me show off a new outfit when I’m eight years old. He was legally blind, and though I knew he couldn’t see it that well, he always told me how much he liked it.
I see my big brother begging me to join him in playing with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures. I hear us bantering back and forth like we’ve got soap opera characters at our finger tips. “No, Raphael, Splinter has a new girlfriend in the city, just above the sewer.”
I see my dad waking me up early on Saturday mornings to take me to a greasy breakfast, and then to the hardware store. I hear him asking my five-year-old self which power drill he should buy, or which color spray paint I thought would fit best for whatever weekend project he’s working on.
I see my aunt taking me Christmas shopping for my parents, and then letting me spend the remaining money at PetSmart on my dog, Chloe. I see us eating Chinese food and watching movies in the dark at her apartment.
I hear my grandmother on my dad’s side telling me stories about what went on behind-the-scenes at the Little Rock Zoo. I picture us sitting at her kitchen table, across from my grandfather, and we’re eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and drawing pictures.
I see my mom and I on Christmas night when I’m in seventh grade, playing with a brand new karaoke machine Santa brought me. I hear her singing Beatles songs with me, and us figuring out what all the buttons are for.
And I see my grandmother on my mom’s side when I’m eight years old and sick with a cold or something. I was afraid to take pills, so she mashed them up and put them in my spaghetti and Hawaiian Punch. It was disgusting, but I know she was doing because she loves me, and she wanted me to feel better. I still can’t drink Hawaiian Punch.
…All of these images because of that line. They’re so vivid, and I adore it and am so thankful for the way these forms can speak. “Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.”
It’s nine days into the new year, and I didn’t make any real resolutions. I want to, but it’s a big commitment. I want to tell myself that I will go to the fitness center every other day, and that I won’t procrastinate on things like paying bills, and that I will cook more meals than I eat out, and that 2012 will be spent sharing nothing but love with other people… But it’s scary, you know? It’s just scary. I don’t want to fail like I usually do when making resolutions.
So here’s to resolving to practical resolutions. Here’s to not failing on them. Here’s to the new year.
I hope and pray that everyday in 2012 will be better than the day before, making every day the best day of our lives. (I watched Office Space the other day. Remember a variation of that line?)
P.S. Awesome app alert: Blender. You can do things like this with it:
It’s been a couple of weeks since I last posted so let’s recap. Oh, and I’m posting via iPad, and am still a little shaky on the typing-on-a-tablet thing, so bear with me.
Everything is still going well with my new job. I’m learning something new daily, and for that, I’m thankful. There is nothing more refreshing at the end of the day than when you can look back at what went on and actually have accomplishments.
Megan and I have also welcomed a new roommate to the house, Abby. She took over our spare room. All of our bills, and rent, got split into thirds and my checking account has never been happier. It really made a difference, especially around Christmas.
Anyway, so Christmas is Sunday. This year has absolutely flown by. It’s been a tough one, but I’m stoked to end 2011 with the understanding that everything happens for a purpose. I know it’s cheesy to say that, but it’s also reality.
Each year when I’m thinking about Christmas I remember the six or so years my family and I spent living in Memphis, while most of our family was back here in Arkansas. Because we were there and they were here, we always had to drive to Little Rock on Christmas Eve to partake in our Johnson family tradition- Swedish Smorgasbord.
My parents had worked out a deal with Santa Claus so that we could have a “normal” Christmas morning at our home. Each year, on December 23, we would cozy up to one or both of my parents and they would read the Christmas Story to us. This was usually after we would watch Christmas Story or Home Alone. After we finished the story, we would set out cookies and milk, and when we woke on Christmas Eve, we would find that Santa had left gifts around our tree, and had partially eaten the cookies we left out. We would open gifts and exchange between the four of us, my mom, dad, brother and I. We got a few hours of new-toy-time, and then it was off to Little Rock. Until we moved to Conway when I was 8, I was under the impression that my family was pretty special. I used to tell all my friends that Santa came a day early to my house, and I was so proud. I love those memories.
Now the traditions have changed a bit. Loved ones have passed, and people have moved to different houses. We have also added family members, and started new Christmas “normals.”
So, Merry Christmas, friends. I hope you and yours share traditions and memories as well, because few things are more important than these.
So, maybe you heard… Yesterday was Thanksgiving. And of course, it got me thinking about all of the facets in my world that I should be thankful for. I began Thanksgiving morning with a couple of cups of coffee while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Megan, my roommate. Then, I baked rolls for my family’s T-Day meal.
Thanksgiving with the family was great, though we missed a few members this year. My brother and his sweet family were in Kansas City visiting my sister-in-law’s side. And, my Grandpa Frank was unfortunately in the hospital for possibly mini-strokes. He was admitted a couple of days prior. We were hoping that he would be out in time for the meal, but it wasn’t until we all took our first bite that we got the call that he could be discharged. I was thrilled, as we began the meal praying that he be healed and released soon. Later that day, my nearly 2-year-old nephew got into an accident while playing and broke his nose and leg, giving us one more thing to be thankful for- that he’s going to be just fine.
Thanksgiving is an interesting holiday when I put it into perspective. It’s also pretty awesome. Snarky people on these types of holidays make remarks like ‘Shouldn’t everyday be Thanksgiving?’ Well here’s my answer, no. No, everyday should not be Thanksgiving. Sure, we should definitely be thankful everyday for the blessings in our lives. But, it’s pretty incredible that we can take a specific day every single year and really, truly give thanks to whatever it is that makes our lives better. We all want something good, and Thanksgiving gives us reason to put those good things into the light.
I worked at the restaurant all day on Saturday. I hadn’t waited tables in several weeks, as I have been working almost solely at Today’s THV. THIS was an experience. It’s easy for me to get on a soapbox about these things, but I’ve got to say something.
First, let me preface: No, none of this happened to me on Saturday. But it has before, and it will again if I keep waiting tables on my days off at the station. I’ve seen too many of my coworkers break down in tears because of way a customer treated them. And I’ve been there too. I can remember a couple of instances over the years where I’ve had to run into the bathroom after something a customer said to me, just to wipe the tears out of my eyes. Bullying exists in these situations too. Majorly.
Another thing to preface: Of course we are going to get some not-so-good customer service from time to time. That’s not what I’m about to talk about. I’m about to talk about how we handle ourselves in situations with not-so-good customer service.
So, here goes: Treat your server right. I’m victim of losing my patience in these situations too, but when I think about it, who cares if they didn’t refill your coke immediately? Who cares if your sandwich was cold? Chances are, if you just talk to them and ask them nicely, the coke will get refilled and the sandwich will get re-cooked, heated up, or whatever it is you need. There’s no reason we should go into a restaurant with our nose up. I’m not just talking about tipping. I’m talking about tones of voices, snapping fingers, continuing to speak once the server has approached the table, and talking on cell phones or texting while ordering.
It is a privilege to go out to eat. I don’t know about you, but it’s only at restaurants that I walk up to a table with a roll of silverware set out in front of me, and a menu. It’s only at restaurants that someone approaches me and offers me what I want to drink, and then to eat. It is at restaurants that a meal gets cooked for us, without us having to lift a finger. It is a privilege.
Don’t get me wrong. I know not all of us act like this, but many do. And maybe you and your group doesn’t, I’m telling you as a server for many years, that this kind of bullying is alive and kicking. So, treat your server right. You never know what’s going on their lives. Sure, it’s their job to get our pizza out at a reasonable time, but what if something major is going on behind the scenes? Maybe if we all treat our servers in the right way, it will rub off on the table beside us.
So, I bought a car a little less than 30 days ago. It’s a 2010 Focus, and because it’s a Ford it went through the whole “Certified Pre-Owned” process. Meaning there’s a 169-point inspection that they do before you even step foot in the car. Also, because of the certification, it starts out with a 3,000-mile warranty that covers nearly every repair you can imagine.
The other day I was driving along and my brakes decided they wanted to go out. I won’t go into detail as to what was actually wrong with them because my brain does not contain any of that type of vocabulary, so here are a few words I remember them saying: Caliper, Pad, Pedal, Brakes, Car, and Sorry.
The service center manager couldn’t believe that this happened since I just bought the vehicle. Anyway, they took me over to Enterprise yesterday so that I could rent a vehicle on their dime to use throughout the weekend. I had two options: A gigantic Ford truck, or a Lincoln Town Car. …I picked the truck.
We started the paperwork and other details, and then he asked me for my driver’s license number and expiration date. When I got to the expiration date, I noticed something interesting… It was expired. I had no idea! I never look at my DL, unlike my boyfriend who whips out it constantly because his picture is so funny. Anyway, needless to say I couldn’t rent a car. My mommy had to come pick me up out in North Little Rock. (Thanks, Mom.)
So that situation got me thinking. I’ve got to become more aware of these types of things. I get so caught up in the daily grind that I way too often forget these little, tiny facets to life. I too often let bills pile up, allow my gas tank get to its lowest, and I procrastinate on things like charging my phone or getting my oil changed. But, why? I mean, these are things that we HAVE to do at a certain time.
In the midst of these lifestyle changes I’ve written about in previous posts comes another challenge to myself- To stop all the procrastinating. It’s not worth the late fees. It’s not worth the dead phone.
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This video is of Glen Hansard (Once) serenading the crowd before they go into the venue to see him play. Pretty awesome. And the song… is just amazing. It’s from the intro to Once.
Have you ever had an extreme-snooze-button morning? That’s how my day began. I set my alarm for 7 a.m. and didn’t actually get out of bed until 10 a.m. I just kept hitting the snooze, and kept having those annoying tiny half-awake dreams. When I finally got up I couldn’t figure out what was real and what was just a dream.
I guess I slept so late because of three things. I worked a little later than normal at the station, waiting for videos to attach to our website. Once I finally got home, I sat down with a stack of bills and began the monthly check-writing process. Then, I finally got into my bed and couldn’t stop reading Hunger Games. Yes, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon. I don’t have a ton of time to read, but I get to read a few pages in random moments throughout the day. I’m having a hard time putting this one down. I bought it for a whopping $7 at Target on Sunday. Not a bad buy so far.
Today has been challenging as I’ve done my somewhat normal routine with a twist. I think the second day of a diet is probably one of the hardest. After just one day of eating right, it’s easy to say “whatever, I was good yesterday so I can be bad today.” But I’m not allowing myself. However, I did have a piece and half of pizza at work after THV in Your Town came back with pizza. It’s hard to deny free pizza. According to the iPhone app My Fitness Pal I had 508 calories left in the day out of my 1200 allotted. I do still feel a little guilty for eating pizza instead of something a little better for me.
I had an excellent workout today, did a mile on the elliptical and a mile on the treadmill, followed by weights. My next workout I intend to do two miles on each. That will be Friday. Tomorrow my workout will consist of taking my dog on a long walk.
When I got to the fitness center I realized that I forgot my earbuds. I had no intention of listening to myself breathe the entire time so I ran into Kmart next door and bought some earbuds for only $4.99. Oddly enough, these Maxwell brand “Juicy Tunes” actually sound pretty good. They were so cheap I may keep them as my backup pair. Anyway, if you’re looking for some super cheap earbuds, I really do recommend them.
I guess after all this extreme-snooze-button day wasn’t so bad. See you all soon. Oh, and if you have a second, check this video out. It’s awesome.
I’ve been dealing with this for quite awhile. Actually, since I was nearly 22 years old. I’m 26 now. So, it’s been about 4 years.
Growing up, I was tall and skinny, and I was always pretty fit. I called myself an athlete, although I wasn’t, and am still not, very coordinated so I wasn’t that great. But, the bottom line was that I was a healthy kid. That is probably thanks to my parents who didn’t let my brother and I overdo it on snacks and sodas. When I graduated high school, I was 5’9” and 120 lbs. Needless to say, I could have benefited from even gaining a few.
I started college immediately, but still lived at home. I still ate my mother’s fairly healthy cooking, and I still took it easy on snacks and sodas. It was a habit to be healthy.
At 19, I moved out of my parents’ house. I lived with two roommates in West Conway. I stayed about the same weight, but not because I was healthy… It was because I was a poor college kid. I was eating discounted food from Playworld, where I worked my first couple years of college, and drinking water constantly… Because, ya know, it was free.
I began dating Jacob when I was 20. (We’re still together.) He was vegetarian at the time, so when we ate meals together, they were generally veggie-based. I began to get a little healthier because we cooked vegetables for most meals, and by default, I began eating less junk. I felt healthier, even though a lot of people told me I was “too skinny” for my height. I was content though.
Skip ahead. When I was almost 22, I decided to move to Little Rock. I had many reasons, including getting a better-paying job at a restaurant in the Heights. Also, Jacob moved to Little Rock for his new job at KTHV. I wouldn’t say I followed him here, but it was definitely an upside to my decision.
I was still in school, so I was commuting almost daily to Conway for classes. I had moved in with my parents for the first 3 months of my time in Little Rock. Even though it’s only 35 minutes away from Conway, the cost of renting a nice apartment was WAY more expensive in Little Rock. You have to be a little more choosy in locations around here though. A wrong turn in a big city could get you down an ally you don’t want to be on.
All of the commuting left little time for health, and I didn’t even realize it. I had class in Conway around 11:30 most days. Therefore, I rushed out of the house around 10:30, giving myself enough time to stop at McDonald’s before hitting the interstate. I got a Number 2 and a medium-sized Coke. Oh, a Number 2 is two of the baby cheeseburgers with a small fry. That’s a little over 1100 calories.
I can remember thinking every now and then about how I shouldn’t eat those things, but I justified it by thinking about my high metabolism and how much easier it was to swing in there instead of making a 300 calorie sandwich at home and drinking water. Plainly put, and I can say this because I’m talking about myself, I was stupid. For a smart person, I was being intensely dumb.
On top of these regular visits, I would also work at Cheers in the evenings after class. I would typically get off around 9 or 10, and eat a couple of chicken tenders or a grilled turkey sandwich from the restaurant. Now, I know a turkey sandwich actually doesn’t sound bad. But let me clarify, it was made at a restaurant. It was grilled. It was tasty. …Meaning, the bread was COATED in butter, “ya’ll.” That’s what made it so awesome. I also drank Coca-Cola Classic constantly while I was at Cheers.
I slowly started to notice my weight gain. The first things I noticed were my boney arms developing cellulite, and I began to be embarrassed to wear t-shirts. Thus began my obsession with cardigan sweaters.
When I got my own place in Little Rock, I ate in more. However, I began to feel less satisfied by my own cooking, and even though I’d eat a chicken breast and rice at home, I’d often stop and get a small fry and a Coke as a snack on my way to class, because I would tell myself I wasn’t quite full yet. In short, I was becoming addicted to junk food.
I remember telling Jacob on occasion that I was feeling fat, but to him and many others, I was gaining the necessary weight. My face was less sunken-in and you couldn’t see my ribs when I wore a bathing suit. I remember weighing 140 pounds and thinking that was actually good, so I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Skip ahead. By the end of the next summer, I was weighing around 160 pounds, and to me, I still didn’t look fat. Because I was tall, I think the fat went to places that weren’t all that noticeable. I was constantly buying new jeans. I think I was up to a size 11/12 in juniors. I was at a 5/6 my first year of college.
I remember noticing stretch marks because of how quickly I was gaining weight. I was slightly disgusted by that, but I tried not to think about it. Instead, I decided I should start working out.
It took me awhile to get going, but by January of 2009 I was going to UALR and working out a couple of times a week. I remember feeling good about myself. That particular gym cost $3 each visit, so I decided to join a fitness center. In July of 2009, at age 23, I joined 10Fitness. I was on a streak. I lost about 20 pounds by October.
October, however, brought a major struggle forward for me. I lost my grandmother. In addition to being extremely saddened by this, I had several members of my family stay with me for the week her funeral was in. I think because of the major change in routine, my workout habits got interrupted. I didn’t realize at the time that it was happening, but I was quickly returning back to my junk-food-eating sedentary self.
Now? I go through spurts of working out. I go through spurts of eating right. As of today, I weigh nearly 180 pounds. I understand that things could be worse, and I am not complaining. I did this to myself. I try to look at it as if I’m innocent here, but I could have stopped it long ago.
Like any addiction, you have to WANT to quit whatever it is. I WANT to be healthy. I WANT to lose weight.
Starting today, things are going to change. They have to. So, where do I go from here?
I’m starting with only eating 1200 calories a day. I’m cutting my snacking down. I’m cutting candy out. I’m cutting my Diet Cokes down. I’m going back to the gym, at least 3 times a week.
I’ve just started a job at a news station, finally a job that I went to school for. I’ve been there for about two months, sitting at a desk for hours at a time, writing stories for the web. While I’m enjoying it, I know all of this sitting is going to put a strain on my health. That’s why I’ve got to get this going. I’ve got to.
I suck, suck, suck at keeping up with a blog. But, here I am again. Here are a few things that have been happening since the last time I posted:
I turned 25, Christmas came and went, I quit a job, I began the life of a freelance artist, I got a dog, Jacob and I took an incredibly needed and fantastic Floridian vacation, I moved into a wonderfully cozy house that needs a lot of work (pictures to come), my hair has changed color probably six times, I’ve floated the Buffalo, and so many other things that I won’t bore you with!
The biggest and most significant change, however, is the job thing. My consistency comes with a sometimes inconsistent job, waiting tables, as I spend my days doing ad work, taking photos, editing photos, and dreaming of other things I can do. Yesterday, I hit a turning point. I must stop dreaming, and start doing. The dining room is not going to paint itself, my dream-job (whatever that is) is not going to fall into my lap, and happiness is not going to seek me out- I’m going to seek it out.
With that said, let’s toast to making changes. This song doesn’t have a lot to do with anything, except that it’s beautiful, and so’s life.
JJ ROCKS THE BLOCK 