As I was sick for a few days I had enough time to think about everything I wanted (and did not want) to think about. Maybe it’s because my first wisdom tooth is coming up, but I also thought about the past year and all that I’ve learned. Of course I have developed myself and learned many life lessons the past year, but I won’t bore you with that. At the end of the year lists seem to appear everywhere, so why not join the herd for once? Below you’ll find a list of – what might appear to be random – things that I learned in 2009. As I said before, there is no such thing as useless knowledge!

-  A DSLR takes much nicer pictures than my old DSC (both Canon)
-  Only Irish whiskey has the extra e (instead of Scottish whisky), which they like to say it stands for enjoyment
- Rutger Hauer is a very nice man who likes two sugars in his coffee
- I can’t seem to celebrate carnival without getting sick afterwards
- Festivals are still as fun as two years ago
- Cats can be pretty damn cute
- I really can call some of  my friends in the middle of the night, and they will pick up
- Dutch people will dress up like anything for free fuel
- Riding around in a shopping card means guaranteed bruises
- Drinking vodka from a detox cup is not good
- Actually, anything coming from a detox cup has made me sick

(c) Peter Koenig

- I still can’t control myself when going into a bookstore
- Doel isn’t entirely empty yet
- Ze Frank is as funny live as he was on The Show
- Amsterdam is even prettier by night
- Foreign guys somehow still attract me more than Dutch for no apparent reason
-  Work isn’t always as fun and as important as you might think
-  Talking to strangers can be a good thing
-  TEDxAmsterdam was as cool as anticipated
- My little finger size is more an 11 than a 12 (ergo I lost my ring)
- Stop dying my hair actually makes it look better
- Twitter is more addictive than one might think
- Stewardess flatmates suck
- Sequins weren’t only cool when I was born (in the ’80s)
- n8 is really cool, afterparties not so much
- Being the only Dutch in a German/American bachelorette party is fun
- I can do the electric slide like a true middle-aged American
- Gay saunas in Amsterdam are also used for art exhibitions/launch parties
- A trip to Copenhagen showed me that it is still my favourite city in the world (after Amsterdam)
- It’s lonely without friends and family
- Paris is not too bad
- Going into crazy rides after drinking a few Maß at Oktoberfest doesn’t make you sick
- You can’t trust millionaire men, even if they have a daughter your own age
-  Things might look bad, but it could always be worse.

Do with this information what you want

Although he thinks that with his dance and breaking skills he should be in the finals of the Red Bull BC One b-boy battle, when he gets out on the dance floor the question arises as to who will get hurt first – him or those dancing around him.  Although he has “mastered” the likes of the Electric Slide, the Hustle, and the YMCA dance, people often ask if he is okay when he dances because it appears to the casual onlooker that he is having some type of seizure on the dance floor.  God forbid if he ever discovers MTV or Youtube because I don’t know if we can handle his loose (and by loose I mean train wreck) interpretations of Jerkin’, the Stanky Legg, the Ricky Bobby, or Swag Surfin’.

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for coming out and participating in the Family Reunion Project!  It was so much fun dancing to Stevie Wonder in the name of unity.  Here are some pictures of the event:

Check out these videos of the event from inside of the performance:

If you have any picture and/or video of the event, please post them on Flicker and You Tube so the world can share in the experience!

Also, please email me the link at electricslide2009@gmail.com . . . I would love to see them and share the link on this blog site.

Thanks so much everybody! 

Peace,

Samantha Hill

Photo Credit:  Laurie Palmer

Video Credit: Gwenn-Aël LYNN

Hello Everyone!

Here is The Plan for The Family Reunion Event!

Documenters:

If you would like to video the Happening with your camera or cell phone, click here for instructions.

Dancers:

Here’s the rundown:

3:00 to 3:10:

We will assemble on the lawn at Wrigley Square in Millennium Park. The entrance to Wrigley Square is at Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street.

3:10 to 3:20:

Pep Talk Warm Up! It time to gear up for the Electric Slide! If there are any changes, I will give any instructional updates at this time. If anyone has any final questions, feel free to ask me at this time.

3:20

We will all walk over to Cloud Gate. I would like you to mix in with the crowd and hang out around the plaza. Please bring cameras to the event and take photos and video of the event.

3:30

I will stand in front of Cloud Gate and announce the inspiration behind the project. I will quick talk about the energy during Election Night and how the people their bonded into a family. This dance is a Family Reunion to recapture the Election Night energy.

When I say “My Family! Please join me in the Electric Slide”, the music will start and I will start dancing. Then the dancers can come up and join the line. The dance will last about 10 minutes.

This Electric Slide performance should be like any wedding or party line in which you have danced the Electric Slide. It’s all about having fun! Don’t forget to help out your neighbor if they need help with the dance. If you mess up . . . just keep going and have a good time.

Here are some Electric Slide examples to inspire you! I’ll see you on Saturday!

Do you remember The Electric Slide at Work video? Here is the other version!

Hi Everybody!

I am looking for people to record The Family Reunion event with their personal camera or cell phone and post the video on YouTube. This will be a Collective Document of the Happening, which will give the Internet viewer an idea of the energy stimulated by the performance at Millennium Park.

I am looking for videos that represent your experience of the happening. The footage can consist of the performance, the audience reactions as well as your own personal response.

Here are some of my favorite camera/cellphone responses from Election Night. I hope they inspire you to come on by and contribute to the project!

Documenters, meet us at Cloud Gate on October 17th at 3:30 pm. Please upload the video as The Family Reunion Project or Electric Slide at Millennium Park. Thanks!

Obama Grant Park Live Reaction to CNN Projection that Democrats Win

Obama’s Elected! (Crowd reaction at Chicago Rally)

Barack Obama Election Night Chicago Rally — Front Row

For the past five days, I’ve spent about 15 minutes daily learning to do the “Electric Slide” from Internet videos. I’m years late doing this, but had no desire to until I attended my 40th high school reunion last weekend, at Wrightsville Beach. When the band took breaks, lots of folks hit the dance floor to do the slide to piped in music. I wanted to jump in and do the same, but was afraid I might have a head-on crash since I knew none of the steps.

It was frustrating to sit it out, but interesting to watch a big bunch of people who, with the possible exception of spouses, were all within a year of the same age . Some folks were learning as they danced, others were careful to be choreographically correct, and still others were adding a bit of themselves to almost every move. One tall, lithe fellow in a bright orange shirt was creating grace notes with his feet, something he had done earlier while dancing the shag. A small group of “girls” who had been sitting together at the same table, danced with a graceful rhythm that made them stand out quite naturally. They brought electricity to this line dance, and they’re the ones I’ve tried to emulate while dancing in front of my HP Pavilion this week. I’ve learned the steps, but I’m not sure what they were doing is learnable. I’m going to keep trying though, because I have another reunion coming in November.

Hi Everybody!

We will be dancing the Electric Slide to Stevie Wonder eleven days from now! I hope all of you are as excited as me! I’m looking forward to dancing with all of you.

I will be holding a workshop on how to dance the Electric Slide this Sunday 1:30 to 3:00. This workshop is for those who would like personal instruction on the dance and also to meet the other dancers. This event is free and open to the public. Here is all of the info!

Sunday, October 11th
1:30 to 3:00 pm

South Side Community Art Center
3831 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60653

Please RSVP for the workshop at electricslide2009@gmail.com by Saturday, October 10th.

Thanks and I hope to see you there!

I have been talking to several people about dancing the Electric Slide in the name of unity. A common response to this project is:

“Cool! I want to do it, but I don’t know how to do the Electric Slide.”

Well . . . Here is a video that shows you how to do it step by step.

We will be dancing to Stevie Wonder instead of country music, but this dance is so easy! You can do it to any song. Here’s the event song. I hope it inspires you!

Here is also campy instructional video just for fun! Enjoy!

If you would like personal instruction on how to do the Electric Slide, please come to the workshop and meet other dancers. Stay tuned for more info!

Hello Friends!

I would like to give you an update on The Family Reunion Project.

I have to change the event to Saturday, October 17th at 3:00pm because of a possible conflict dealing with the Olympic announcement.

The Olympics announcement will be made “officially” in the park on October 2nd and if Chicago is selected as the city of choice, they will pursue activities in the park on October 9th through 11th. This will take up the entire park, which will be reserved all day on those 3 days. The Department of Cultural Affairs has an obligation to override any projects/performances, etc. in order for 2016 to move forward with the planning. So I decided to change the date to give everyone advance notice.

I hope everyone can still participate on October 17th at 3:00. Please visit the blog for more updates about the project as well as fun, inspirational video clips.

Thanks!

Samantha Hill

I like to see you move with the rhythm; I Like to see when you’re dancing’ from within.
-Bob Marley

So, I guess you are wondering . . . why the electric slide? The electric slide is a group line dance, which is usually performed at celebrations such as weddings, but occasionally a spontaneous line will pop up.  It’s a great community dance because:

#1:  It’s really fun to dance, especially with family and friends.

#2:  It’s contagious.  Sometimes people that witness the dance will usually join in on the fun.

#3:  If you don’t know the electric slide, the other dancers will teach it to you.  It’s a community dance so it is a better experience with a large group . . . the more the merrier!

#4:  If you mess up while performing the electric slide it’s ok . . . as long as you are having a good time!

#5:  It’s a dance for all ages.  If you can walk, then you can participate in the fun.

Here are a few of my favorite examples:

Do you feel inspired to do the electric slide? Invite family and friends to dance with you when you RSVP . . . and make new friends while you participate in the fun!

Question:    What is a Happening?

Answer:    Happening is an event, which combines different elements of painting, poetry, music, dance & theatre and staged them as a live action.  This type of performance art is usually done in public space and can be a collective act.

Question:    What is a Flash Mob?

Answer:    A flash mob is an event in which a large number of people congregate at a certain place and perform a named activity for a certain amount of time. After completion of the named activity, the participants disperse as if nothing happened.

Question:    Are they the same thing?

Answer:    Well, they can be, but it depends on the event . . . or who you are asking.

Question:    Do you have any examples?

Answer:    Yes, I do.  Here are some examples of my favorite Happenings/Flash Mobs.  These performances demonstrate the energy I would like to create for this event (without the complex choreography).  Enjoy!

Question:      Awwww MAN!!  Do I have to know how to dance to participate in the project?

Answer:    No.  (I can’t dance like that either.)  The Electric Slide is an easy dance.  Anyone can learn it, plus the best thing about the dance is if you mess up . . .  no one will see you.  

What a great group of teachers I met in Winston-Salem, NC last week! Because we had a small group, I tried something new. At lunch, I’d shared that I was unable to dance at a 50^th birthday party recently because I didn’t know the steps. My new friend, Joann, said it was probably the Electric Slide and said she’d show me. I asked if she’d teach it to our whole class during the afternoon break. Movement helps cement learning.

The demo dancers take the floor

We found Electric Slide music via YouTube and Joann invited all who knew the dance to help her demonstrate for the rest of the class (kind of like a read-aloud). Many of us were reluctant to learn this new dance, so I insisted that they move close to the teacher so they could watch the model (just like having our students sit near us on the floor during read aloud).

Next, I asked Joann to explain the steps (using explicit language, like in a think-aloud). She told me she couldn’t explain it; she’d just dance and we could watch and do it, too. (This sometimes happens when we’re teaching in whole group. It’s hard to break down and explain explicitly how to do something.) The students who already know how to do that skill don’t mind. But those of us who couldn’t dance really needed the verbal explanation along with the demo.

Gingerly, I broke down the steps as I understood them. “Do a grapevine to the right. Watch my feet. Step right, left,

The whole class joins in the fun

 right, left.” We practiced a few times. Then I added a clap. The advanced folks were saying, “Tap and clap.” The strugglers were saying, “What do you mean, tap and clap?” I explained, “Just step with your foot and clap at the same time.” Ohhhh. We proceeded in this way with the rest of the dance steps.

Finally, we were ready to add the music. We readied ourselves, 1, 2, 3. What fun we had stepping together, while I called out the directions to the beat. Before you knew it, we were all giving it a try (just like shared reading where we all do it together with support).

At the end of the dance, we returned to our seats smiling, and I asked Joann if she could assess how the class did while we worked together. “Absolutely!” she said. “In fact, there were some people who need extra practice with pivots, like you, Deb. (Sounds like a need for small group to me.) “Some folks need to practice dips, and others need to work on their grapevines. And one group is ready to move on to the more advanced dance, the Cha Cha Slide.” (Sounds like we now have four differentiated small groups.) We talked about the need to have small group instruction with students who have similar needs so we wouldn’t frustrate kids who already have these skills.

Happy teachers buying books

One last lesson… if I were in a small group for pivots, we’d certainly practice pivots first in isolation. But then we’d put the pivots into the Electric Slide dance. If not, I’d never learn how to do the dance. I’d just know how to pivot (just like teaching skills in isolation in small group without direct application to trying to use that skill while reading). Fond memories and lessons learned in NC.

This guy is great! His name is Judson Laipply and he is exactly right for the folks here in BeckyLand. Watch for the Brady Bunch shout-out. It’s my favorite part!

Part One …

Part Two …

How ‘bout it … wanna try and learn it with me??! I already know the Electric Slide and I can twist like nobody’s bizness. Plus, I’ve got a good start on Thriller now, too.

How many of these dances did you know? Think you could do it?

Here’s the basic line dance moves… catch it? dance it!

Here’s the advanced “cha-cha” version:

Here are some reasons we should be inviting people over for dinner:

1. It gets you out of your menu rut.  Tasting the menu from another kitchen makes me realize that there are other things to eat besides the same old same old.  I get used to eating a box of green beans and almonds 4 days a week.  {yawn}  After feasting with several different families this week, I’ve had shrimp, vegetable quiche, strawberry and pecan salad, brussel sprouts (cut in half, drizzled with oil, pepper, then havarti cheese…who knew?  delish), and so on.  Even if what you are serving seems mundane to you–it’s probably not to the people you are serving. 
2. Hospitality encourages community in a way that our culture neglects.  We don’t like to admit that we need each other.  We don’t want other people in our business.  We don’t want to be accountable for those around us.  This makes me think of a line from our Anne of Green Gables production this spring.  When Marilla is vying to send Anne back to the orphanage, she asks Matthew what good that orphan would be to them.  To which he humbly responds, “We might be some good to her.”  Hospitality encourages us to open our homes to the people around us.
3. Hospitality encourages generosity.  I think Miss Manners has said, ”Generosity and gratitude go hand in hand.”  When we think of how many blessings we have, the godly–and perhaps most human–response is to share them.   
4. Hospitality encourages beauty in everyday living.  Let’s face it.  Your living room is not ready for a Martha Stewart photo shoot every day of the week.  And you probably don’t eat on the fine china each night of the week.  But when you have guests over, it’s fun to add some aesthetic quality to the meal you serve. 
5. Hospitality, specifically inviting others to eat with you, echoes Christ’s hospitality at the eucharist.  So much more happens at the dinner table than merely consuming 600 or so calories for our bodies to convert food to energy.  We get energy to work–but so much more.  As a hostess, we share our lives with our guests.  We contribute to the community that shares Christ with the world around us. 

So, one of my goals this summer is to make a conscious effort to share with others the blessings God has given me and build community in our fractured world.

I recently had the opportunity to go to my first dance! A friend invited me to go to the local Senior Center this past Friday for a night of dining and dancing. I had the best time EVER! I have never danced in a public place, though I’ve had the chance in the past. Never, in a million years, would I dream I’d ever have the courage to get up and dance in public.

There were people of all ages there. I just knew I wouldn’t have the courage to dance in public, but something just came over me when the music started that I thought, “What the heck? Who cares if they laugh! I came here to have some fun!” So I got out there with my girlfriend on the dance floor and we had a time of it! The only dance I had an inkling of knowing how to do is the electric slide. But I twisted the night away and I learned the Cupid Shuffle, too! I can’t wait ’till next time!

Not only is dancing great fun, it’s wonderful exercise! So, here at home I’m still twisting, sliding and shuffling and lovin’ every minute of it!

For any of you out there who don’t like to exercise, I suggest you make space in a room of your house, whether you have to push the furniture aside, or whatever! Just have yourself a blast and dance the night or day away and have fun doing it!

P.S. There are several good dance videos on youtube that you can learn with!

David’s brother, Timothy, got married yesterday. It was an outdoor wedding, and you couldn’t have asked for a better day. The temperature was in in the low 70’s, the sun was shining, and the sky was blue. The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was lots of fun. I figured instead of going into lengthy details in paragraph format, it would be much more fun to share pictures and tell the story along the way. So here we go!

Just in case you don’t remember, Madeline was the flower girl. She got to wear makeup!

Fast forward to the ceremony. My in-laws, and the groom walking down the aisle (which should have had orange cones around it, because you really were taking your life into your hands when you set foot on it. I can’t count the number of people who tripped on those cobblestone squares…thankfully no one in the wedding party!).

 My sister-in-law, Danielle. Let me tell you what was going through her head, “I can’t believe I paid $60 for this stinkin’ pony tail!” Just kidding, I don’t know what she was thinking. I’m just making an educated guess.

Madeline stole the show with her petal-throwing skills. She didn’t hesitate for a moment. She took her job very seriously and made sure to drop petals on each square…until she ran out of petals! A few times she had to bend over and rearrange the petals because she wasn’t happy with the way they had fallen onto the ground. I was very proud of her!

Here is Danielle, the bride, not to be confused with Danielle, David’s sister! Unfortunately this is the best shot I got of her, because at this point Madeline was now sitting with me, demanding I hold her, and I basically was distracted by her for the rest of the ceremony while she begged me to let her go pick up all of the petals she had just thrown, and tried to jump down to pick up ants she saw crawling around. Let’s just say I found a few dead ants in her flower girl basket!

To entertain herself Madeline took pictures during the ceremony.

After the ceremony we used the opportunity to take some family pictures since we were all dressed up fancy. Unfortunately the Pellitteri family pictures were all taken by the professional photographer so I don’t have any of those to post. Oops!

Cute, huh?

The whole family 

Fast forward to the cocktail hour. Me: eating bruschetta. Jessica: Holding 3 drinks, a Barbie, and a Hello Kitty purse. I told her she should really pace herself with the drinks, and that she should try to act a little more mature and maybe put away the Barbie and purse.

She wasn’t amused

 Not really sure what is going on here…

Dinner was great! One of the best meals I’ve had at a wedding. Fast forward to dancing. Madeline and David danced together and she wore him out!

Madeline was VERY tired, before the dancing ever started, as evidenced by this picture.

But it was nothing a little chocolate couldn’t fix!

They had 3 chocolate fountains. Madeline thought that was a great idea!

Madeline “danced” with quite a few people at the wedding. Her favorite 2 people to dance with were the bride and groom. Go figure!

Jessica and I taking a break from all of the dancing we were doing

Then I took a break with David…after I spilled chocolate on my dress. Nice!

Then we did the Electric Slide. Isn’t this how everybody does the Electric Slide? No? Yeah, we don’t get out much, so when we have a chance to do the Electric Slide, we just get a little crazy!

Steven, Jessica, David and Danielle all had a little conversation. I think it went something like this:

Danielle: “I still can’t believe I paid $60 for a ponytail!”

Jessica: “Yeah, the bedhead look you’re sporting now is much better!”

Steven: “I can’t believe we’re talking about ponytails, when I could be doing the Cha Cha Slide.”

David: “I’m making this face so that my sister will know how much I loved her $60 ponytail”

I’m pretty sure that’s what the conversation went like…give or take a little!

Then David and Jessica got Steven out on the dance floor, which is really a monumental accomplishment.

Jessica was really proud of her accomplishment, Steven was still not sure about it.

Did you think I was joking about Jessica and I dancing? No, we definitely danced, and we look really hot when we dance, don’t you think?

No? You think we look silly? Yeah, us too. That’s why we decided to take a break. We figured it would be better to let other people makes fools of themselves. Kind of like these people did…

We ended up leaving around 11:45, and went and picked up Anthony from the babysitter (Madeline had gone home earlier with my parents…although she cried when she had to leave because she was having so much fun!). On the way home we stopped at Taco Bell, just because we could act like young, non-parents again. Our late night Taco Bell run was complete with a mooning by some obnoxious teenagers…ahhhh, to be young again. NOT! 

So congratulations to Tim and Danielle. The wedding was beautiful and we wish you a lifetime of love and happiness together!

Also, a special thanks to Anne and Tim for watching Anthony during the wedding, cocktail hour, and for taking him home and watching him until we picked him up late at night! They survived one of Anthony’s extremely loud, long crying fits and still had smiles on their faces at the end of the night, and for that we are thankful! 

Finally, I end with this picture because it amused me!

Yep, he’s still getting used to Madeline driving him crazy! Oh, and he cut his first tooth yesterday morning, just in time for the wedding. *Sigh* he’s growing up way too quickly.

Oh, and I can not tell you enough how much I love oversized sunglasses. In my opinion, bigger is better. I know that is pretty random, but every time I see a picture of me wearing my big sunglasses I think, “Wow, I really do love my big sunglasses.” This particular pair was only $10 at Target, so it doesn’t take much to please me in the sunglasses department

10. Caning – Very early 90’s. It’d be great to see the opposing coach holding a stick of bamboo on the sideline waiting for Rondo to get close enough for a shot across the calves.

9. Prison Shank – Be honest. Rafer Alston looks totally capable of this.

8. Pistol Whip – A really underrated form of assault. It’s like the bitch slap of gunplay.

7. Hot Grits to the Face – It made Al Green stop cattin’ around and get religion. Can’t argue with that.

Crotch Kick

6. Crotch Kick – Not just any crotch kick. He has to stand on stage at Radio City Music Hall while the Rockettes come down the line punting him in the flesh nuggets.

5. Stoning – Who can’t get behind a little biblical ‘eye for an eye’ interaction? Rainy Day Point Guard #9 is my favorite unreleased Dylan song.

4. Necklacing – According to Wikipedia it’s the practice of forcing a rubber tire filled with gasoline around a victim’s chest and arms and setting it on fire. Well then.

3. Full Metal Jacket Treatment – Bars of soap in a towel. Swung by Albert Pujols…and John Henry. Also, don’t try to blame the donuts in the foot locker on Big Baby. That’s a dick move.

2. Upside Down Crucifixion – It just sounds badass. Like something you’d hear about in a Cannibal Corpse song. Anyway, Jesus was crucified with two thieves and according to basketball-reference you averaged 1.9 steals a game this year. Now remove that headband. We’ve got some new headgear for ya.

1. Taser Attack – Maybe not as permanently harmful as some of the other selections but the entertainment value can’t be quantified. Bonus points if you can arrange for “Electric Slide” to be played over the PA. It’s Electric!

Yup, that’s what we learned today in band. The electric slide. I must say that I failed miserably. It was spectacular. And I was in a horrible spot for it too.

We were supposed to get into three rows. Me and Jamie stood in the back. Sure we could’ve gone to the front, but Laura really wanted to know how the electric slide would turn out for other people, and the back was the best place to be. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the electric slide required you to go back a couple of steps.

Since we were in the back, we had no room because there was a table in the way. In the beginning I was pretty lucky. Praise already knew the dance (don’t ask me how) and took normal sized steps without trampling me. Then some how, I got behind David.

Do I need to tell you that it was a disaster?

All I’m going to say is that Laura later called my description of what happened, “Upright reverse rape”.

Yeah. Believe it. It was honestly that bad. I’m scarred for life. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep. I want to go take a shower, and I will never again feel comfortable standing behind David.

I wound up screaming and sitting on the table.

Let’s Give ‘Em Something to Talk About!

Take this survey

Have your parents ever caught you drinking?
Don’t drink

Do you love the last boy/girl you were talking to?
No

Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
My mom?

What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Waiting for my mom

Honestly, who was the last person to tell you that they love you?
Tim H. LOL

Last restaurant you went to?
Does KFC count?

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Ana maybe

Did you have an exciting last weekend?
Last weekend we went to a parade which I admit was pretty fun

Have you ever crawled through a window?
No

What do you spend most of your money on?
Food

Where were you at 1AM sunday morning?
In bed, asleep

Ever kissed someone over 30?
No

Is there a secret you’ve never told your parents?
Yes

Do you like yourself?
Eh… there could be improvements

Have you ever dyed your hair?
No

Are you wearing a necklace?
No

Who is someone you wish you could fix things with?
Well there’s nothing to “fix” but there are people who I want to be closer with

Is there anything in your past that you’d like to try again?
Si

Are you an emotional person?
Very

What’s something that can always make you feel better?
I’m not really sure

Did your parents spoil you as a child?
A bit

Do you still have pictures of you & your ex?
No ex

How’s your heart lately?
Broken

Are you a cuddler?
Mhm

Will this weekend be a good one?
Probably just boring

What do you want rightn ow?
To go to Bremerton

Who can always cheer you up?
David

Have you ever gone nude/streaked in public?
Hell to the no

Who hugged you last?
Tim

Have you ever worn the opposite sex’s clothing?
Yeah

Are you a kissable person?
No XD

Has someone ever spread a nasty rumor about you?
..Not that I know of

What is your relationship status?
Single and hating it

Who was the last person to come to your house?
Arnelyn

Look behind you, what do you see?
My headboard

How many rooms does your house have?
3

Have you ever worked in a food place?
No

What would you name your future daughter?
Something difficult to pronounce

Who and where was the last concert you went to?
Uhm…

Any summer plans for 2008?
I’ll assume you mean 2009. California, home, park, and BREMERTON PLZ?!

What did you eat for lunch today?
Nothing

Whats on your schedule for tomorrow?
Half day stuff

The last song you heard?
Sugar

What do you think of love?
I’d better find it soon

When is the last time you went to a party?
Idk

When is the next time you’ll hit up a club?
Idk

Do you still talk to any of your ex’s?
Don’t have one

If you had to eat 1 thing for the rest of your life, what?
The 7-11 hot dogs lol

Name 1 thing good about Myspace?
i don’t knowwww

Does anyone know your Myspace password?
I told 2 people but they’ve probably forgotten

Have you dated anyone on your top 4?
nope. they’re all girls and I don’t swing that way

Has your number 2 on your friends ever made you cry?
no

How do you feel about abortions?
they’re…not good?

Do you eat junk food everyday?
Hellz yes

How often do you drive?
don’t know how to drive

Where did you last drive to?
see above

Describe your bestfriend?
Weird, pink, has pig hooves, doormat, nice

Who was the last person to touch you?
Mummy

How did you and your number 1 become friends?
idk, same 6th grade class

How late did you stay up last night and why?
till 10 because i had to take a shower?

What’s the connection between you and the last person you texted?
she’s my new buddy from this year

Do you like someone?
sure

Have you ever been hit by the opposite sex?
i think so

Have you ever kissed someone whose name started with an S?
haven’t kissed anyone

How’s your life lately?
EHHHHHHH

Do you know anyone that is currently locked up?
no

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
no

What do you think about the current gas prices?
better than before

Would you sex tape with you in it for 3 million dollars?
nooo

Have you ever been so drunk that you blacked out?
no

Do you think that you’re a good person?
i can be

Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurt?
sure

Are you happier single or in a relationship?
relationship please

Have you ever flirted with a friends crush?
friend’s ex and friend’s ex crush

Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
never

Ever ordered from an infomercial?
no

Do you believe in love at first sight?
no

Have you ever requested a song on the radio?
no

Do you hate the last girl you were talking to?
why would i be talking to her

When is the last time you took a nap?
probably not since last weekend

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
wait, didn’t you ask this already

To text you?
this too?

To send you a myspace message?
Laura

To send a friend request?
uh. elizabeth maybe? or katie. Idk, i don’t remember

Whose bed did you sleep in last night?
mine

Have you kissed anyone in the last week?
no

Do you miss anyone?
si

What does your 8th text message say and who was it from?
i’m too lazy to type it out because it is LONG

What are you listening to?
my mom talking to our neighbor whose daughter got kicked out and is staying in our living room

Is there one place you’d like to visit?
FUCKING BREMERTON DAMMIT

Have you held hands with anyone today?
no

Do you like winter time?
yes

Do you own uggs?
no

Do you regret anything?
yes

What are you excited about?
next saturday

Plans for today?
sleep?

Seven days from now will you be in a relationship?
hahaha i wish but no

What are you doing tomorrow?
going to school

How many different people of the opposite sex have you cried over?
well 4 that i ca remember right now

Where is your number one person on your friends list?
at home or at emily’s

Do you want to dance?
i just spent an hour doing the electric slide. no

Who do you not get along with?
jamie sometimes and my mom sometimes

Last movie you watched?
er… i-OH WAIT i watched west side story LOL that was awhile ago

What are your plans for the weekend?
stay home sleep

What do you notice first about a guy?
Hair, then face, then shoes, then entire outfit

Something interesting happen lately?
As laura would say, I was “upright reverse raped” by david

Where is the person you like right now?
idk, i’m not THAT much of a stalker

Last time you took a shower?
last night

What were you doing at 8:00 this morning?
being annoyed at the stupidity of my geometry class

What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
idkkk

When was the last time you talked to your most recent ex?
DO NOT HAVE ONE STOP ASKING

Have you ever been around someone who was high?
i’m sure i have, i just didn’t know

Do you like where you live?
eh

Last thing you purchased?
food?

Have you kissed your number one on your top?
NO

Where are you right now, and how do you feel about where you are?
in my room and i feel that it is very messy

Explain why you last threw up?
feeling sick?

Where did your last hug take place?
in the band room

Who was the last person to hold your hand?
no one

Are you a jealous person?
very

Did you have a good birthday this year?
it was pretty good

Are you tired right now?
i’ve been tired a lot lately. stupid jazz band

What are your outlooks on gay/bisexual relationships?
i don’t mind them

Do you chew on your straws?
yeah

Who was the last person you rode in the car with that was under 21?
idkkk

Three days from now will you be in a relationship?
eff. no

Do you have curly hair?
wavy

Who was at your house last?
our neighbor

Do you lead people on?
no

Is there anyone who doesn’t like you because of something you didn’t do?
don’t think so

Have you kissed anyone today?
no

Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
when i was younger

Last person you cried over?
idk

Do you cry easily?
depends

Do you have any brothers?
no

What do you think of them?
i just said i don’t have any

Where did you go today?
to school

What should you be doing right now?
sleeping

Are you a heavy sleeper?
not really

When was the last time you hand washed the dishes?
awhile ago

Name everyone that made you smile today?
DO I HAVE TOOOO? David, julie, mr.angelos, chris, tim, harris, jamie, laura, acacia, and many more

Who was the last person to put their arm around you?
idk, probably tim

Three feelings at the moment?
tired, lonely, bored

What are you listening to right now?
you asked this before, and it’s the same answer

The highlight of your week?
so far it’s been today

Who were the last people you ate with?
julie and yelina

What really makes you mad?
annoying people

Ever had a drunken night in Mexico?
wtf no

What are your plans for tonight?
DIDN’T YOU ALREADY ASK?

What does the seventeenth text message in your inbox say?
don’t know don’t ccare

What’s the last piercing you got?
ears

Ever toilet papered someone’s house?
no

Do you want to be married right now?
sure

What were you doing at 4am this morning?
sleeping

What do you usually do first in the morning?
wait for my alarm clock to go off

Do you have college plans?
not really

Are you mad at anyone right now?
campbell and whoever made this

How many different beverages have you had today?
1

What did you do today?
SCHOOL

What is your favorite flavor of jelly?
idk

Do you want children?
yes

What were you doing at 7pm yesterday?
playing sims

You’re in the hospital, who on your TOP friends would come to visit you?
Laura jamie and erika

If alcohol were banned, what would your reaction be?
“whoohoo!”

Do people underestimate you?
yes

Are you named after a grandparent?
no

What’s something you’re scared of?
being alone

Name some of the people you love?
i don’t know

What’s your favorite color?
navy blue and orange

Ever been kissed under fireworks?
no

Do you wish someone would call you?
yes

Is there someone you wanna date right now?
yes

Are you usually the heart breaker or the heart broken?
heartbroken

Is there a meaning behind your profile song?
no

Do you have a best friend?
yes

Do you belive that what comes around goes around?
yes

Who was the last person you were mad at?
WOULDN’T IT EFFING BE THE PERSON I’M ALREADY MAD AT?

What is the last song to make you cry?
none

Is your best friend pretty?
she’s not ugly. she’d look better if she fixed her hair

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
sometimes

What do you miss?
a person

Do you give out second chances too easily?
depends on who it is

Ever felt that no one relates to you?
yes

Had plans and broke them?
yes

When was the last time you saw your grandparents?
winter break

Who are you jealous of?
the girl he likes

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THIS SURVEY!

Last weekend the whole family (me, my wife and two kids ages 7 and 9) woke up early, packed up the car and headed to Westgate River Ranch, an incredible destination that took us about as far from the Orlando area theme parks like Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld as imaginable. An authentic dude ranch nestled on 1,700 beautiful acres, Westgate River Ranch gave us the unique opportunity to return to the days of “Old Florida” when the state was home to cowboys and cattle ranchers.

Just about an hour’s drive South of Orlando, Westgate River Ranch lies in Polk County, Florida, and is centrally located between the Atlantic and Gulf beaches. We sped South on State Road 429 (normally the back road we take to Disney World) to Interstate 4 West and then past a myriad of small towns along U.S. 27 – Haines City, Lake Hamilton, Dundee and Lake Wales (billed as “The Friendliest Small Town in Florida”) – before heading East on State Road 60. We noticed few signs of civilization for the next 25 miles and then we glimpsed an immense horse statue and sign welcoming us to Westgate River Ranch, “The World’s Largest Dude Ranch.” We had arrived!

As we drove past the main gate to Westgate River Ranch, we noticed a small airfield and golf pro shop on the left and a 9-hole golf course on the right. The excitement built as we continued down the road and viewed the horse stables, petting farm and rodeo arena, as well as some horses grazing in a pasture. We also noticed many guests riding around in golf carts (rentals are available), which we soon discovered would prove to be the easiest and most fun way to make our way around the ranch. We passed a beautiful white chapel and the River Ranch Saloon before parking at the impressive Lodge and Conference Center.

After we checked in around 10 AM, we dropped off our luggage in the Western-themed Inn room, which overlooked some tennis courts. We found the accommodations to be very comfortable with a variety of amenities such as a fully equipped kitchen, table and chairs, screen-in porch and cable TV. Perfect for us! The kids wanted to totally immerse themselves in the Western feel of the ranch, so we then stopped by the Western Store and picked them up some cowboy hats. The Western Store was stock full of hats, boots, shirts, jeans, belts and cowboy souvenirs.

We then explored the adjacent game room, Kid’s Corral Arcade, and played a quick game of air hockey, as well as some other classic games such as Boppin’ Bugs! Finally, we checked out the nearby General Store, which sold everything from groceries, beverages and gifts to sandwiches, pizza and salads. In addition to the Western Store, Kid’s Corral Arcade and General Store, the Town Square at Westgate River Ranch features an old-timey Post Office.

We were registered for an Airboat Ride at 11:10 AM so we then headed to Westgate River Ranch’s full-service Marina, which consisted of a dock, Bait and Tackle Shop, and Westgate Smokehouse Grill. In addition to airboat rides, a variety of rentals and excursions were also available at the Marina such as boat rentals, guided fishing trips and swamp buggy rides.

Just to the left of the Marina, we spotted a Catch & Release Pond and a herd of grazing Watusi cattle, which are known for their long, distinctive horns. The Airboat Ride itself took us on a thrilling adventure along the scenic Kissimmee River (which flows from Osceola County to Lake Okeechobee) where we viewed alligators, turtles, hawks, eagles and other rare birds.

After departing from the airboat we headed up the dock to the Westgate Smokehouse Grill, a charming waterfront eatery that features a family-style menu and large screen-in porch. We started off with gator bites as an appetizer, which was a real treat for the kids since they had never tasted alligator before and could now boast of it to their friends. My wife ordered the chicken salad sandwich and the kids chose salad and fries from the children’s menu, while I opted for the blackened grouper sandwich, a generous portion that was piled high with onions and peppers. Absolutely delicious!

After lunch we had some time to kill before the Swamp Buggy Ride so we decided to check out the complimentary Petting Farm. My kids agreed it was the best petting farm they’ve ever visited – full of ponies, horses, goats, pot-bellied pigs, llamas, emus and peacocks. The kids also enjoyed the Pony Ride. We also got a chance to visit the adjacent Horse Stables and view a group getting ready for a Horseback Riding adventure along the miles of bridle trails that wind through Westgate River Ranch.

We returned to the Marina at 2:15 PM for the Swamp Buggy Ride, which consisted of a thriling one-hour journey through Westgate River Ranch’s wooded trail. These swamp buggies have huge tires and can travel just about anywhere, allowing for an amazing (and bumpy!) journey through the brush. The kids got to sit next to the driver and they were thrilled by it all! After departing the Swamp Buggy Ride, we relaxed by taking a dip in the outdoor pool and hot tub.

At 4:45 PM, we met at the East Corral for the old-fashioned, tractor-pulled Hayride, which was to be followed by a Country Cookout. The Hayride actually took us outside the boundaries of Westgate River Ranch into the beautiful 7,000-acre KICCO Wildlife Management Area, which runs along the Kissimmee River. In addition to the incredible scenery, the hour-long Hayride featured the talents of a singing cowboy who entertained the crowd with such classics as Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” and Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee,” as well as providing us with interesting trivia about the KICCO Wildlife Management Area along the way.

We learned that KICCO stands for “Kissimmee Island Cattle Company,” which operated here from 1915 through the late 1920s and that a 13-mile portion of the 1,400-mile Florida Trail (officially known as the Florida National Scenic Trail) winds its way through the area. In addition, KICCO is home to abundant wildlife such as white-tailed deer, bald eagles, wild hogs, hawks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, alligators and wild turkeys. After departing the Hayride around 6 PM, we headed to the East Corral for the Country Cookout, which featured a delicious buffet that consisted of barbecue chicken, hotdogs, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, baked beans and iced tea.

By 7 PM, crowds of rodeo fans started to descend upon Westgate River Ranch for the immensely popular rodeo, which takes place every Saturday night at 7:30 PM. We grabbed a few cocktails at the River Ranch Saloon (where patrons can enjoy “live country-western foot-stompin’ entertainment and line dancing” Friday and Saturday nights!) and then strolled over to the 1,200-seat Rodeo Arena.

Officially known as the Americom Championship Rodeo, this amazing event boasted everything from bull riding, barrel racing, calf roping and trick riding to rodeo clown antics and a patriotic tribute to our armed forces that was accompanied by uplifting, classic country songs such as Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue” and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” In addition, the kids especially enjoyed getting the opportunity to participate in a real “calf scramble.” Bottom line: The rodeo was simply incredible and all of us thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Don’t miss it!

After the rodeo, we hung around for the Rodeo Dance where dozens of kids sang, danced and competed in games while the lively DJ entertained us with tunes such as “Macarena,” “Electric Slide” and even “Cotton Eyed Joe.” It was now 10 PM and after a full day of fun and adventure, we were all exhausted and so we headed back to our room. However, things were just picking up at the adjacent River Ranch Saloon and we could hear some great live music as we rode past in our golf cart.

We slept in a little on Sunday morning and then headed over to the Westgate Smokehouse Grill for the abundant breakfast buffet that consisted of eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, fruit, cereal and much more. We then decided to check out the Miniature Golf course, which was located behind the General Store. The challenging, 18-hole putt-putt course winded through shady trees.

As we drove out, we stopped by the charming River Ranch Chapel, which is a very popular site for weddings. We took a right turn past the chapel and viewed the Trap and Skeet Range, and Archery Range, as well as tent and RV campsites nestled in the woods. From a distance, we could also view several planes at the Westgate River Ranch Airfield, which features a lighted 5,000-foot private runway.

As we headed onto Highway 60 back toward “civilization,” all of us agreed how refreshing it was to have such a unique, fun-filled vacation getaway as Westgate River Ranch within an hour’s drive of bustling Orlando. We vowed to definitely escape to “nature’s sanctuary” again in the near future!

Mikey cranked the boom-box, and the dance floor came alive as the robots did the electric slide.

I don’t actually have any amazingly funny stories from today. No body tried to fool me, and I didn’t try to fool anybody. Well, I guess on my wordcountjournal I made a halfhearted attempt, but that’s pretty much it.

I’m so boring, I know. I wish I could change it, but there’s not much I can do. I’m only surrounded by funny people. Like David. Ah David. One of the funniest people that I know. Though I don’t actually think he was being that funny today. Whatever. Maybe today was just a depressing April Fools day.

I mean, the weather is rather crappy. It’s so typical for Washington to have crappy weather in spring. At first it was just cold and kind of rainy, but by the time I got of of geometry it was snowing. In April. What the hell?

I’m ready for some warm weather please. It’s too cold. I need some warmth now. I mean, I love Washington weather- and I’m being completely serious about that- but it’s getting a little depressing. Especially when life in general isn’t all that great right now.

I mean, it’s just as… Well, I guess you wouldn’t necessarily call it bad. I guess it’s just…. I don’t know. Boring? Blah? Bland? Band?

And no, the last one wasn’t a typo. I actually mean that so far, the only thing I really look foward to any more is jazz band. And not even that as much as before. It’s mostly symphonic band that keeps me from just falling asleep in science and just staying there. Maybe it’s not band as a class. Maybe it’s just David. When he’s in a good mood, he brightens up my day a lot. And band is also taking up a lot of time because we have lots of marching practice because we have some parades coming up.

Oh guess what? We get to do the electric slide for marching band.

Once again, that wasn’t a typo. You read it right. The electric slide. A bunch of band geeks carrying instruments. Doing. The. Electric. Slide. Funniest thing ever. At least to me. I think I won’t be able to do it at all but David will somehow succeed and have to give me lessons on it or something. I imagine a lot of people are going to fall over. I’m going to fall over from laughter. I can’t picture David or Oleg or Harris or Praise or anyone in band doing the electric slide. It’ll be a failure of epic proportions. People around the country are going to come to Mariner just to watch the marching band try to dance. It’ll be all over the news and in the newspapers that haven’t had to shut down.

Laura wants me to video tape it. I want to video tape it too, but I have a feeling that other people won’t find it quite as funny as I do.

Oh by the way, there’s this book that you absolutely must read. It’s called The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. It’s an awesome book. The guy telling the story is hilarious even though he suffers a lot. I finished it in less than 24 hours. Laura’s currently borrowing it.

I also saw The Senior a lot today. I must look really freaked out whenever I see him in the halls. There are times when it seems like he just pops up at random, when I’m not even trying to find him. So when I do see him in the halls, I sort of get all wide eyed and look like I see a ghost. It’s okay though. He looks very nice in his tight black shirt. He looks pretty muscular

Obsessions

Take this survey

What song has captured your mind lately?
My Life Would Suck Without You

What TV show do you catch regularly?
Probably Family Guy

What book really has lately engaged you?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

What movie do you find yourself re-watching?
Twilight

Has someone in your life become a new and surprising friend?
Sarah

Is there a book/film/piece of music from your childhood you still have?
Not that I know of

What is something that is over-rated lately?
The Jonas Brothers

What is the best kept secret in music you NEED to share?
Idkkkk

What comfort food has been important to you of late?
Mac and cheese and Cup of Noodle

What place is your hiding place?
In my backpack or under my bed

Do you collect anything? If so what?
Nothing

What is a weekly ritual for you?
Blogging a few times

What beverage is a daily consumable for you?
soda

What store or shop do you frequent the most?
Idk

Are you a creature of habit?
I guess sometimes

What is your favorite animal?
Wolf

Who is your favorite actress/actor?
Taylor Lautner

Are you obsessed with pink?
Ew

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THIS SURVEY!

TAKE THIS SURVEY!

As promised, we will continue our little journey down the road of the best albums of each year that the staff of Random Ramblings has been alive.  These are the albums that we would put in a time capsule if the missiles from the Koreans/Brazilians/Texans were on their way.  Presenting: 1987-1996.

1987: Hysteria

Def Leppard’s magnum opus-the best album of massed chorus vocals in history.  If you were alive, it was impossible to escape these songs. If you were dead, they might still have been playing in the room as your body was on the slab.  The most popular song here is of course “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, but our personal favorite is “Animal”.  Bust out your Jordache with the holes you strategically placed and rock. 

Honorable Mention: U2-The Joshua Tree

1988: R.E.M-Green

This band has so many bright moments that they were destined to make it on our list more than once.  This album, while not their best, was their first big moment in the spotlight.  And we listen to nearly every song on it (except for “World Leader Pretend” and “I Remember California”-both good songs but not on a need-to-listen-to basis). Perhaps we will throw in a DVD of the video of “Stand”, so the future generations can model their dancing after the awesome choreography in the video. If there has to be awkward in unison dancing in the future, it would beat the Electric Slide or the Macarena. 

Honorable Mention: Jane’s Addiction-Nothing’s Shocking

1989-Pixies-Doolittle

Our second favorite Pixies albums (1st prize goes to Trompe Le Monde, but it was released in a cutthroat year). This one has to included for the three headed monster of “Debaser”, “Wave of Mutilation”, and “Here Comes Your Man”. On second thought, add another head for “No. 13 Baby”.  If the invaders base their lives solely on the content of this album, they will be randomly be screaming out Spanish phrases and laughing maniacally.  

Honorable Mention: Motley Crue-Dr. Feelgood

1990: Drivin N Cryin-Fly Me Courageous

We’re going with a wild card here.  Not  many people outside of the South heard this album, but it is certainly worthy of inclusion.   A nice blend of Southern riff rock with alternative leanings.  Highlights include the title track, “Rush Hour”, and “Around the Block”.  But we’re still trying to decipher the meaning of “It’s not so hard to hide the rattlesnake’s confusion”. 

Honorable Mention: Temple of the Dog-Temple of the Dog

1991: Nirvana-Nevermind

Probably the most obvious choice in the entire list.  If all the hair rock bands of the 80’s were a pesky little anthill in your front yard, then the release of this album was like dropping an atomic bomb on it to fix the problem.  The shift in music was jarring, and even that is a vast understatement.  Not the most talented songwriter ever, or the best guitar player either. But the combination of Kurt Cobain’s rough around the edges buzzsaw guitars, Dave Grohl’s “I’m going to make my drums wish they were alive so they could kill themselves” Animal during roid rage drumming, and Krist Novaselic’s nimble bass playing sounded like the most original thing ever made to our 14 year old ears. Still sounds really good after all these years. 

Honorable Mention: Metallica-Metallica

1992: R.E.M.-Automatic for the People

The best album this band has ever made, or probably ever will.  Yeah, overall it’s a bit of a downer. But it’s a classic, bittersweet downer.  The bar is raised as high as it can be with songs like “Try Not to Breathe”, “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”, “Star Me Kitten”, “Man on the Moon”, and “Nightswimming”.  And the absolutely PERFECT album closer “Find the River” is the perhaps the best thing this band has ever recorded, if you have to pick one song. Nothing really funny to say about this album-it is simply brilliant. 

Honorable Mention: Lemonheads-It’s a Shame About Ray

1993: Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream

We follow up the best album in R.E.M.’s catalog with the best albums in The Smashing Pumpkin’s oeuvre. A stunning array of symphonic, humming guitars and heartfelt lyrics, this was the perfect album for the schizophrenic emotional state of the average teenager. Billy Corgan’s voice is love it/hate it for many, but the sheer ambition of these songs makes this one a classic.  Soaring guitar solos, Jimmy Chamberlain’s punishing drums, and even some quiet, gentle moments make this album have something for every mood. This is our favorite band besides The Beatles, so we are biased.  If Billy Corgan had not said so many things that ticked off people in interviews, maybe more people would feel the same. 

Honorable Mention: Pearl Jam-Vs. 

1994: Weezer-Weezer

Rivers Cuomo emerged like a modern day Brian Wilson, writing a perfect batch of songs to sing along to.  The infectious songs on this debut make this an album you listen to from start to finish, and then start again.  How can you not join in on “Buddy Holly”, “Undone”, “Say it Ain’t So” and every other song on here? They are a tractor beam, pulling you, Lone Star, into the evil clutches of Spaceball 1, until you jettison off in an escape pod.  Sorry. Is it bad that Spaceballs makes it into 90% of our thinking? 

Honorable Mention: Soundgarden-Superunknown

1995: Foo Fighters-Foo Fighters

It pains us to not give Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness the nod, but we just couldn’t deny how ferocious and original this album sounded when we first heard it, and how it definitely holds up 14 years later. Few imagined Dave Grohl had songwriting chops, but he delivered in full with this debut.  Relentless songs like “I’ll Stick Around”, “Weenie Beenie”, and “Wattershed” made you feel like you had injected Pixie Sticks, laced with Fruity Pebbles, into your veins. Their later albums, while good (really good, in the case of their next two), do not have quite the same feel as this one (the lyrics started making sense, which is a good direction to take, but the music was probably less interesting). This is still probably the tallest tree in their forest.

Honorable Mention: The Smashing Pumpkins-Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness

1996: Counting Crows-Recovering the Satellites

Their first album was good, but seemed to meander a bit in places.  This album finds Counting Crows cranking their amps a bit, and upping the epic build of their songs. Adam Duritz can be a bit embarrasing sometimes, but overall his lyrics on this album fit the reminiscing, bittersweet atmosphere perfectly. His yearning yowl helps songs like “Catapult”, “Angels of the Silences”, “Have You Seen Me Lately?”, and “A Long December” reach their emotional peak. Quite the unlikely star-the finders of the capsule might take a look at the paunchy, white, dreadlocked look Duritz is sporting, and take a pass at basing their look on this one.

Honorable Mention: Weezer-Pinkerton

Next week: the dramatic, breathtaking, emotional, heartbreaking conclusion to this epic saga.  1997-2008.