I'll tell ya, I'm just getting worse and worse about updating this thing... Ok, well we went to the state fair. Crosby, Stills, and Nash were nothing less than fantastic. I was afraid they might be mere shadows of what they once were, but they haven't lost anything... that's impressive. All of their voices were still strong and versatile, and I'm absolutely sure they all have complete command of their instruments.
They're a desert island group for sure.
Hey, I've "discovered" the Doobie Brothers. Been listening to stuff on Rhapsody Music service (www.listen.com) -- it's kind of cool because you get to hear stuff you wouldn't normally hear or just go out and buy. I've had the Doobie Brothers' Greatest Hits and Minute by Minute for years, but I've never really listened to anything else. In general, from listening to the two albums I had, I hand noticed that most of the stuff I REALLY liked was pre Michael McDonald (nothing against Michael -- I just mostly liked their earlier stuff) so I listened to their first 4 albums on Rhapsody. Danged if those first two (The Doobie Brothers & Toulouse Street) aren't absolutely terrific albums! I bought them... well not through Rhapsody. If it's a group I really like I still prefer the packaging with the music. I imagine I'm a part of a dying breed... the young turks who grew up on downloading music probably don't mind so much not having it. But "Black Water" is still my favorite and it's not on either of those two, and in Michael's defense, songs like "Takin' it To the Streets" and "Minute by Minute" are great songs. They just have a different sound than that cool raw funk-i-fied hybrid Burrito Brothers/Eagles/Sly and the Family Stone hybrid sound that really doesn't sound like anything else.
Haven't really talked to the neighbors yet... They're really not fundamentally obnoxious people, just not overtly considerate. Vicki keeps finding trash, fast food wrappers, cigarette butts around. She picks them up and puts them in a bag on their doorstep hoping they'll get the hint. They commented that it's a "nice" neighborhood when they moved in. Yeah, that's partly because we all pick up our trash. Still have to get to know them a little better. Maybe we can help them become responsible neighbors.
Friday, August 22, 2003
Friday, August 08, 2003
Busy doin' nothing
Well the biggest news past is that our neighbors (the abusive guy and his girlfriend) moved out, and a couple of frat boys moved in. They seem ok -- one of them's a bit of a hothead, but after the downright unfriendly people they're replacing, it's an improvement. Bad thing is between the two of them they have three cars. One of them the owner only uses for long trips -- then he has his slick-o Z car he parks in the driveway.
Now it's customary in neighborhoods like ours to park your cars in your driveway/garage or in front of your house. Since we moved here, I took a parking place at the end of our driveway in front of our house and let Vicki have the driveway. Well the last neighbors -- the guy decided my customary place was 'his' and 'squatted' it all the time. It was easy because he didn't have a job. Where I'm going is that these guys have taken the nearest two parking spaces to my house -- the one I usually use, and the one next to it. One is the car that rarely gets used. The other is the hot-head undergrad. I'm hoping we can work out some sort of neighborly agreement in which the undergrad parks his car in front of their house (novel idea) and the car that doesn't get used much gets parked in front of ours but further down.
A kind of a lousy thing about where our house is on the street is that our bedroom window is low (the house is sunken) and it's right in front of a part of the street that was made for perpendicular parking (lights towards the bedroom window) -- it was meant for visitors, mostly but by law it's a city street and of course anyone can park anywhere they want for 24 hours.
I'm hoping we can get these guys over to on of our cookouts and beer fests and get to know them -- my philosophy is that neighbors who know each other are more likely to be considerate of each other.
Going to the State Fair tomorrow.... first one I'll have ever been to. Main reason is to see Crosby, Stills, and Nash BUT -- it'll be fun to go to a state fair anyway.
So I'll let you know how it goes.
Now it's customary in neighborhoods like ours to park your cars in your driveway/garage or in front of your house. Since we moved here, I took a parking place at the end of our driveway in front of our house and let Vicki have the driveway. Well the last neighbors -- the guy decided my customary place was 'his' and 'squatted' it all the time. It was easy because he didn't have a job. Where I'm going is that these guys have taken the nearest two parking spaces to my house -- the one I usually use, and the one next to it. One is the car that rarely gets used. The other is the hot-head undergrad. I'm hoping we can work out some sort of neighborly agreement in which the undergrad parks his car in front of their house (novel idea) and the car that doesn't get used much gets parked in front of ours but further down.
A kind of a lousy thing about where our house is on the street is that our bedroom window is low (the house is sunken) and it's right in front of a part of the street that was made for perpendicular parking (lights towards the bedroom window) -- it was meant for visitors, mostly but by law it's a city street and of course anyone can park anywhere they want for 24 hours.
I'm hoping we can get these guys over to on of our cookouts and beer fests and get to know them -- my philosophy is that neighbors who know each other are more likely to be considerate of each other.
Going to the State Fair tomorrow.... first one I'll have ever been to. Main reason is to see Crosby, Stills, and Nash BUT -- it'll be fun to go to a state fair anyway.
So I'll let you know how it goes.
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