Barlows nonBirrhday View

Barlows Birthday View.

Barlows Birthday View.

Pool day.

That's Why

you'll stay homeless bitch, the passerby said.

Working On Your Birthday

is a crime.

But it's not so bad when you celebrated your birthday over the weekend:

Saturday I flew down to Orange County. I went straight to the mall because I had a J.Crew gift card in my wallet from my last birthday and I wanted to use it to buy a pair of shorts. The store didn't have the shorts I wanted in my size. I went to the Gap and used a gift card I got for Christmas to buy a sweatshirt. The sun was out and it was pretty warm so I went to the beach. After the beach, I had dinner at BJ's - a calzone. From there I headed to a little theater directly across from Laguna Beach and saw Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and What the Hell Happened to Karen Allen. I didn't care for the movie. Sorry.

Sunday morning it was cloudy and cold. So I jumped in the car and drove to San Diego where it was sunny and warm. I wanted to go to Tijuana but wasn't sure whether I needed a passport or not. Not wanting to risk it I made do by going to the swimming pool at the Hotel Del Coronado. And that was an awesome way to spend a Sunday afternoon. When the sun started to set I walked out to the beach with my iPod. Man, was that a pretty sight. The sun on the ocean was lovely, there were brides and grooms having pictures taken, there were Asian tourists doing crazy Asian poses, and there were people swimming in the ocean. Wanting to capture that moment in my memory, I turned off my iPod, reset it, and then turned it back on. I expected it to be just as in tune with the lovely beach scene as I was and randomly pick the perfect song. Hitting shuffle, I hoped for magic. What I got was:

Upside Down, Diana Ross

So I threw my retarded iPod in the ocean. Just kidding. After I hit skip about thirty eight times, it landed on High Life, Counting Crows and redeemed itself. A little bit.

I stayed in San Diego that night. Downtown there was one of those street performers dressed up like a robot that does robot-style dancing for the amusement of passers by. When one passerby attempted to take a picture, the performer hurriedly pulled up a long cardboard sign that completely covered him and read "Pictures $5!" or something like that (I have a picture - I'll post it in a bit). The passerby, a young seemingly fraternity guy, said "And that's why you'll stay homeless bitch!" Yeah, I loved that.

Monday I drove back to the OC, had lunch at Wahoo's, and shopped at South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island.

That's a nice way to celebrate a birthday.

But, you know, there's a better way . . .

And that way is B-Lo's way. Her birthday is on Friday and to celebrate we're flying to NYC so that she can see the Sex and the City movie - on location.

With OC to reflect back on and NYC to look forward to a day at the office isn't so bad after all.

Plus, you know, 9 to 5 is playing at Brewvies tonight. It's like they knew it was my birthday or something.

Today's Song: King for a Day, XTC

This was the intended picture.

Hotel Del Coronado. From the pool on Sunday.

Todays Song: Ditty, Paper Boy

Some Like It Hot.

The movie, you know? Happy Memorial Day.

Friday Five

In the 90s, for me, Memorial Day weekend meant a debaucherous trip to Lake Powell. Instead of a traditional Spring formal, my fraternity rented houseboats at Lake Powell and through a huge party. The likes of which I sadly haven't seen since. If this were the Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend in, say, 1995, I would just now be pulling into Bullfrog marina and watching people beer bong. But it isn't 1995, is it. It's 2008 and I'm simply contemplating a visit to Starbucks and a long day at the office.

Anyway, one of the guys took the weekend music very seriously. Every year he would make mix tapes (TAPES) of great music to blare all weekend long. Those tapes were one of my favourite aspects of the entire weekend. They left such a mark on me that I have been searching for some of the songs on those tapes for years. To no avail. Until, as luck would have it, yesterday. I finally found a copy of Frazier Chorus' Dream Kitchen posted on the internet. (Thank you internet!) And that's how I'm kicking off this Friday Five.

Dream Kitchen, Frazier Chorus

Look of Love, ABC (There was an unfortunate "dance off" to this song.)

White Lines, Grandmaster Flash (I went nuts for this when I first heard it.)

She's A Beauty, The Tubes

Kids In America, Kim Wilde

19, Paul Hardcastle (One night, when I was trying to fall asleep and wasn't in the best state of mind, this song came on and scared the shit out of me. It still kind of does.)

Mmmm Bop, Hansen (One year this song got played so much someone through the entire tape in the lake. The only other tape I remember being destroyed had the Macarena on it.)

That's obviously more than five, but it's a holiday weekend and I've got nothing else to post so there you have it.

Enjoy summer's opening weekend everyone. I'm headed to Orange County. Hope for good weather.

Friday Five

Five songs for your Friday and weekend.

(These are taken from collection of UK hit compilation cds from 1999 to 2002).

Sitting Down Here, Lene Marlin

What I Go To School For, Busted

Life is a Rollercoaster, Ronan Keating

Westside, TQ

Re-rewind The Crowd Say Boselecta, Artful Dodger (feat. Craig David)

Plus one more for good measure:

World of Our Own, Westlife

Today's Song: Move This, Technotronic

Road Trip

You know what makes for a more pleasant work week? A weekday road trip. I had a hearing in St. George (a very quick hearing) early Tuesday morning. That necessitated a drive down on Monday afternoon. In order to make the long drive a little more pleasant, I rented a car. I rented a mid-size with Sirius satellite radio. In doing so, I basically assured myself an upgrade because few mid-size cars have the satellite radio. I picked up the car on Monday and I was upgraded, alright. To a PT Cruiser. No offense to those that do, but I do not like driving PT Cruisers. So I exchanged the car for a Sebring convertible. Quite a nice car - fancy covertible top, leather interior, less than 5k miles. In fact, I'd rented the very car before a few months ago. How could I tell? Well, because all of my Sirius preset stations were still programmed (Coffeehouse, Prime Country, Laugh, 80s, Movin EZ, and 1st Wave). Also, there was a stain on the seatbelt from when I spilled barbecue sauce while eating Wendy's chicken nuggets.

The ride down was nice enough, though not warm enough to drive with the top down. I could have driven to Las Vegas and spent the night or simply stayed in St. George. I opted intead for Mesquite and a night at the Casablanca. A little bit of both worlds: the convenience of St. George but with Las Vegas-style amenities (gaming, resort pool). I spent the night playing slot machines and won enough to justify my purchase of a shirt from the Polo outlet in St. George earlier in the afternoon.

My hearing on Tuesday was done by 10am. I went to WalMart for some sunscreen and other sundries because 10am was too early for lunch at the new In N Out. I got more than I bargained for at Walmart: sunscreen, sunblock, two Coppertone themed towels, a Boston RedSox hat, t-shirts, cold medication, and gum. A $50 Walmart visit. Good thing I had winnings from the night before.

After a quick lunch at In N Out, I headed back to Mesquite to go to the pool. There was something so indulgent about spending a Tuesday at a pool in Mesquite. It was me, some retirees, and a few couples that were likely on a work outing or something. I didn't know how I was going to pull myself away from the pool to get back on the road. It took quite a bit, and that is the point of this post.

The four things that got me back on the road for a four hour drive back to SLC were as follows: (1) a stop at Walmart (again) to buy a Garth Brooks greatest hits 3 cd set; (2) another shirt from the Polo outlet; (3) a top down convertible; and (4) dinner at Pizzeria 712 in Orem.

The downside to a weekday road trip is the fact that you have to cut it short and then by the end of the week you are ready for a weekend road trip to make up for the one you had to cut short days before.

Today's Song: I'm Ready, Jack's Mannequin

Towels:


New CD:


New hat:


Pizzeria 712:

One of those days.

The Hidden In-N-Out Burger (aka In and Out Burger) - The Most Accurate Secret Menu

I had to Google what "animal style" means.

http://www.tiburon-belvedere.com/cgi/home.cgi?c=In_N_Out

Todays Song: I Go Crazy, The Spazmatics(?)

Californication!

Of Utah! St. George anyway.

Blindsided

This morning when I was getting ready for work, this song played on my iPod. It was a pleasant surprise because I wasn't very familiar with the song. I think it fit this grey morning quite well.

Allow me to share the song with you:

Blindsided, Ben Iver

And for good measure, another song that popped up that also fits today's grey morning:

Dollar and a Dream, Nels Andrews

For those out there that don't appreciate sensitive singer songwriters and/or prefer a more electric jolt in the morning, I'll give you some Sophie Ellis Bextor next week.

Actually, I'll reward you today after all:

Shake It, The Metro

For you Brit Pop Top 40 fans:

If You Go, Sophie Ellis Bextor

Now listen to me, if you want to feel like you live and work in London, and it's Friday at four pm, and you're thinking you want to stop into a pub after work because the sun is out and you don't quite want to jump the tube for your commute to Hammersmith, and think that just maybe after the pub you and your mates could pop over to OddBins for bottle of Bolla Soave and then just take off your ties and hit the clubs, or maybe head to Selfridges and buy a new shirts to wear out, well, then just listen to that last song. Because that is the song you will likely hear blaring the pub (I imagine) or on the speaker at OddBins (I suspect) and definitely playing on the first floor of Selfridges (guaranteed).

Alright, new music for you today. Enjoy.

Yes, it's delcious.

The best cotton candy I've ever had. Yes, I ate the whole thing, and
yes I have a tummy ache. Worth it.

Todays Song: Golden, My Morning Jacket

It's that time of year:

Lagoon.

Do you have your season passes?

When I first started going to Lagoon as a borderine adult and taking kids along for the ride, there was actually only one kid. And she was barely 3. That kid is now 7 and she comes with a brother that is 3 and a cousin that is 11 and on a lucky, lucky day a super little 3 and 1.5 year old (my cousins). Now, this, I can tell you is infinitely harder. And exponentially more tiring. I now look upon grumpy moms and dads in the midway with sympathy and understanding, whereas before I was simply clueless.

In other news, I went to the Black Kids and Cut Copy concert on Friday night. And I remember everything about that concert in perfect, lucid detail. Go ahead and ask me about it. Just make sure you only ask me to tell you about the hipster who attended in a vintage Jazz player's uniform or getting my picture taken with the Black Kids lead singer or Barlow trying to steal some musical eggs.

Today's Song: Everybody's Working for the Weekend, Loverboy (in concert this Friday in Wendover!)

Some shakins'

I skipped dinner last night thinking that I would treat myself to a Hostess snack cake. I skipped the cake because I didn't want to go to a convenience store.

I'm very, very relieved that I didn't see Forgetting Sarah Marshall - with my mother. My sister cannot say the same.

Heard Gettin' Jiggy With It on the radio yesterday and was instantly transported back to 1997. Because I was bonkers for the song when it first came out.

I rode my bike to work today, May 1. In the snow. My pants are still wet.

People around me keep humming and/or singing aloud Neil Diamond's "I am . . . I said". So I guess I know what they did last night. And speaking of American Idol, I really, really hope David Archuleta does not win. That's kind of a controversial stand, but I'm taking it.

The other day, I spent about 7 minutes researching why Heidi Montag and Lauren Conrad are feuding. Note: I have never seen The Hills. I just like to be culturally literate.

I haven't been receiving my New York and New Yorker magazines in the mail. So I checked my subscription status and it turns out there is some problem with the post office. I went to www.usps.gov to determine the problem, but couldn't find an answer. I did, however, find answers to some interesting questions. Like this and this.

ALSO! I ordered these.

Today's Song: Maybe Tomorrow, Stereophonics