the boss, flushies, yodels, a pet peeve, and a couple of disappointments

okay.  so here's the problem.  the longer i go without posting something worth writing and reading on this blog, the harder it gets to post at all.  i think its been nearly two weeks since i wrote, and when that happens, i feel more and more pressure (from myself) to write something that validates the lack of posts.

but i got nothing.

so, in an effort to just grit my teeth and forge ahead today, i am singularly rejecting the idea that all my absenteeism requires some epic post to compensate.  instead, i will simply jot down a few things rattling around in my head this morning.

the other night at dinner quin told us that he likes to eat yodels at a wash-a-not.  and that he likes flushies and hot gogs from target.  (yodels = noodles; wash-a-not = restaurant; flushies = slushies).  he also calls that orange circle through which you toss a ball to earn two points by the following name: basketball poop.  

i've been on a huge bruce springsteen kick ever since the concert.  he's all i've been listening to.  i've been creeping like a crouching tiger on ebay, waiting to pounce on cheap cds (i don't like to spend more that $4-$5, including shipping).  i've accumulated a good portion of his studio recordings so far, and have a formidable springsteen playlist on my ipod that has been running non-stop.  just really enjoying his songwriting, his musicianship, his "singing for the common man" persona, and his energy.

pet peeve:  memorial day and veterans day?  two.different.things.  now listen, before anyone gets mad at me, i think people who serve our country, especially those who do it with a heart for it and a real passion and calling, are to be lauded and thanked, not just one day a year, but as often as possible.  further, i think people that have served in an armed conflict deserve even more of our respect and gratitude, and maybe more than just a slogan or a day off, what they really deserve is our attention, and our willingness to listen to the wisdom they gained through their experiences.  and we can do that any day of the year.  and should.  but memorial day is a day set apart for a different purpose.  it is a day for remembering those who were lost in defending our country.  we decorate graves.  we remember their courage.  we remember their families forced to continue on without them.  when we turn memorial day into "veterans' day, part two" we do a disservice to those families who still mourn and grieve their husbands, wives, mommies, daddies, sons and daughters.  okay. stepping off of the soap box now.

just watched the movie: blue like jazz, based on the don miller book, which i loved.  i wanted to like this movie so bad, but i just didn't.  it felt flat. to be clear: i loved having the opportunity to watch a "christian" movie that wasn't preachy and cheesy and morally heavy-handed, but in embracing a kind of "cool-factor" i feel that it surrendered too much meaning.  i turned off the dvd player at the end, wondering what it was supposed to be about.  i was disappointed.

another disappointment:  coldplay's new album.  first strike against it?  it isn't written and performed by bruce springsteen.  so, now you know my bias against it already.  second strike?  it seems flat to me.  too electronic at times, giving it a kind of studio feel that lacks energy and passion.  there are a few good tracks, but several of the tracks seem entirely forgettable to me.  maybe it will grow on me after i'm off my springsteen kick.

okay.  there, i did it.  i'm back in the swing.  that wasn't so hard.  thanks for hangin' in there with me.