Wednesday, September 29, 2004
"The Funniest Thing"...
Took a "solo flight" to Key Arena tonight to catch Norah Jones live in concert. And boy, she definitely didn't disappoint...beautifully on key the entire time. And just like I'd anticipated, very soulful...and *funny*? Didn't quite expect the humor, but it definitely added levity to the proceedings...
At one point, a siren-like alarm blared throughout the arena and instead of complaining, Norah actually implemented the alarm into her rendition of "Sunrise" by poking fun at it during the "and I said, ooh, ooh..." part of the tune. Instead of the "ooh's," she playfully imitated the sound of the siren. The audience definitely fed off the playfulness...
Norah also kept it light by toying w/ singin' the 80's hit "Welcome to the Jungle," pokin' fun at her own soothingly understated, low-key style. She also talked about a "Don't Know Why" duet w/ Elmo on Sesame Street...
Norah: "Yeah, the title got changed to 'Don't Know Why Y Didn't Come.' I'm thinkin' it's because Y was w/ his eX." [har, har, har!]
All in all, I'd have to put Norah's concert tonight at the Key in the category of "OFF THE HOOK"...
[*on play]
J. Cullum ~ Frontin', All at Sea ["twentysomething"]
Maroon 5 ~ 1.22.03 "ACOUSTIC"
N. Jones ~ ALL
[*254]
As of tonight, Ichiro's just 4 hits fr. shattering an MLB record that's steadfastly stood for 84 years. 4 hits...yup, that's officially "SHOUTING DISTANCE!"
Took a "solo flight" to Key Arena tonight to catch Norah Jones live in concert. And boy, she definitely didn't disappoint...beautifully on key the entire time. And just like I'd anticipated, very soulful...and *funny*? Didn't quite expect the humor, but it definitely added levity to the proceedings...
At one point, a siren-like alarm blared throughout the arena and instead of complaining, Norah actually implemented the alarm into her rendition of "Sunrise" by poking fun at it during the "and I said, ooh, ooh..." part of the tune. Instead of the "ooh's," she playfully imitated the sound of the siren. The audience definitely fed off the playfulness...
Norah also kept it light by toying w/ singin' the 80's hit "Welcome to the Jungle," pokin' fun at her own soothingly understated, low-key style. She also talked about a "Don't Know Why" duet w/ Elmo on Sesame Street...
Norah: "Yeah, the title got changed to 'Don't Know Why Y Didn't Come.' I'm thinkin' it's because Y was w/ his eX." [har, har, har!]
All in all, I'd have to put Norah's concert tonight at the Key in the category of "OFF THE HOOK"...
[*on play]
J. Cullum ~ Frontin', All at Sea ["twentysomething"]
Maroon 5 ~ 1.22.03 "ACOUSTIC"
N. Jones ~ ALL
[*254]
As of tonight, Ichiro's just 4 hits fr. shattering an MLB record that's steadfastly stood for 84 years. 4 hits...yup, that's officially "SHOUTING DISTANCE!"
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
"And 'Sponge' will be loved"...
Hit up the Puyallup Fair today w/ friends, and fun definitely took hold of the proceedings once again. Our main prerogative to attending was to see Maroon 5 live in concert on the Grandstand stage. And they definitely didn't disappoint...the capacity crowd got absolutely raucous when they finally got on stage after the so-so opening act by a group called PALE. PALE's music sounds like a cross between Green Day and Radiohead, and yes, just like their name implies, they're of the Caucasian persuasion. I kind of felt bad for them in way, since the crowd didn't really vibe w/ their performance, and after a while they had to resort to self-depreciation to establish any type of rapport w/ the audience. They basically conceded that they were a 2-bit act, and that the crowd would be "lucky" to see M5 after their own ear abusing mediocrity mercifully ended. And that it did...
Well, what can I say except that Maroon 5 more that lived up to my expectations, which I concede were minimal leading into the concert, even w/ the knowledge that they're insanely popular in the pop music scene right now. As a result, going into the show I didn't particularly hate nor care about their music, a feeling that people would regard as either apathy of indifference, especially amongst "salmon" such as myself who like to go against the current of what's popular in a tireless pursuit of the ever elusive spawning ground of individuality. As the AFLAC mascot would say if it were me, I just didn't give a "quack." But that stance [or lack thereof] gradually faded as they performed, reaching a crescendo of sorts as they played their smash songs "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," and "Harder to Breathe." And yeah, I was on my feet for all 3 songs, croonin' along at the near-peak of my lung capacity and dancin' as if I were a perpetually rhythmic Alpha wave of one-ness w/ my surroundings. And when "Harder to Breathe" came on, I just let it go, straight up flowin' lyrically and physically, locked in the zone. I definitely let it fly on the hook...
when it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love / you'll understand what I mean when I say / there's no way we're gonna give up / and like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams / is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe...
Yup, I'd have to classify the concert as a "Redenbacher." Why? It was "poppin'." 9 stars out of 10...
As for the fun before the concert, it consisted of winning a stuffed PHAT JUMBO SpongeBob, SquarePants at one of the game booths, the one in particular where you had to somehow get a wiffle ball into a basket by bouncing it off an 80-degree slanted easel-looking setup. Won it on my 1st [and only!] try. It's one of those games that's deceptively easy looking, but actually quite difficult for the average American malarkey to beat. Before playing, I asked the vendor if there was a certain technique that would give me the best chance of coaxing the softball sized wiffle ball into the basket. After she showed me the technique, I knew that I had a great chance to win, since it called on me to summon my tennis skills, in particular the delicate art of the drop shot which requires tremendous feel. That intuition came to pass as the ball got to its Ginsu-sharp parabolic apex, then knifed downward, exquisitely glancing off near the top of the "easel" and into the basket. Swish! Very beautiful sight as the myriad on-lookers stood by w/ amazement, admiring the masterful handi-work of the "Ichi-bro." Or so it seemed...heh. I tried to play again to win 1 for each of my companions, but the vendor quickly responded "sorry...no," abruptly putting an end to my "wiffle-ball in basket, delicately glancing off easel" exploits. Until next time, that is... =p
Much to my unintended pleasant surprise, I had 7 to 8 different propositions fr. people for the jumbo SpongeBob. They ranged anywhere fr. "I'll give you $20 for it" or "if I cry, would you give it to me?" It made me realize the extreme lenths that people would go to in order to acquire something. All this verbal posturing over Mr. SquarePants...at the end of the day he's just a trivial toy people! On the brighter side, while I carried Spongey around like he was my own progeny, I got quite a few pleasantly inviting, borderline flirtatious looks / smiles / comments fr. the ladies. And who would've thought Maroon 5 and surreptitious ol' me would share a common thread* tonight...heh. Didn't I tell you I had fun? =p
* = NP intended!
Hit up the Puyallup Fair today w/ friends, and fun definitely took hold of the proceedings once again. Our main prerogative to attending was to see Maroon 5 live in concert on the Grandstand stage. And they definitely didn't disappoint...the capacity crowd got absolutely raucous when they finally got on stage after the so-so opening act by a group called PALE. PALE's music sounds like a cross between Green Day and Radiohead, and yes, just like their name implies, they're of the Caucasian persuasion. I kind of felt bad for them in way, since the crowd didn't really vibe w/ their performance, and after a while they had to resort to self-depreciation to establish any type of rapport w/ the audience. They basically conceded that they were a 2-bit act, and that the crowd would be "lucky" to see M5 after their own ear abusing mediocrity mercifully ended. And that it did...
Well, what can I say except that Maroon 5 more that lived up to my expectations, which I concede were minimal leading into the concert, even w/ the knowledge that they're insanely popular in the pop music scene right now. As a result, going into the show I didn't particularly hate nor care about their music, a feeling that people would regard as either apathy of indifference, especially amongst "salmon" such as myself who like to go against the current of what's popular in a tireless pursuit of the ever elusive spawning ground of individuality. As the AFLAC mascot would say if it were me, I just didn't give a "quack." But that stance [or lack thereof] gradually faded as they performed, reaching a crescendo of sorts as they played their smash songs "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," and "Harder to Breathe." And yeah, I was on my feet for all 3 songs, croonin' along at the near-peak of my lung capacity and dancin' as if I were a perpetually rhythmic Alpha wave of one-ness w/ my surroundings. And when "Harder to Breathe" came on, I just let it go, straight up flowin' lyrically and physically, locked in the zone. I definitely let it fly on the hook...
when it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love / you'll understand what I mean when I say / there's no way we're gonna give up / and like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams / is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe...
Yup, I'd have to classify the concert as a "Redenbacher." Why? It was "poppin'." 9 stars out of 10...
As for the fun before the concert, it consisted of winning a stuffed PHAT JUMBO SpongeBob, SquarePants at one of the game booths, the one in particular where you had to somehow get a wiffle ball into a basket by bouncing it off an 80-degree slanted easel-looking setup. Won it on my 1st [and only!] try. It's one of those games that's deceptively easy looking, but actually quite difficult for the average American malarkey to beat. Before playing, I asked the vendor if there was a certain technique that would give me the best chance of coaxing the softball sized wiffle ball into the basket. After she showed me the technique, I knew that I had a great chance to win, since it called on me to summon my tennis skills, in particular the delicate art of the drop shot which requires tremendous feel. That intuition came to pass as the ball got to its Ginsu-sharp parabolic apex, then knifed downward, exquisitely glancing off near the top of the "easel" and into the basket. Swish! Very beautiful sight as the myriad on-lookers stood by w/ amazement, admiring the masterful handi-work of the "Ichi-bro." Or so it seemed...heh. I tried to play again to win 1 for each of my companions, but the vendor quickly responded "sorry...no," abruptly putting an end to my "wiffle-ball in basket, delicately glancing off easel" exploits. Until next time, that is... =p
Much to my unintended pleasant surprise, I had 7 to 8 different propositions fr. people for the jumbo SpongeBob. They ranged anywhere fr. "I'll give you $20 for it" or "if I cry, would you give it to me?" It made me realize the extreme lenths that people would go to in order to acquire something. All this verbal posturing over Mr. SquarePants...at the end of the day he's just a trivial toy people! On the brighter side, while I carried Spongey around like he was my own progeny, I got quite a few pleasantly inviting, borderline flirtatious looks / smiles / comments fr. the ladies. And who would've thought Maroon 5 and surreptitious ol' me would share a common thread* tonight...heh. Didn't I tell you I had fun? =p
* = NP intended!
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
TD's, BBQ, and the..."jump-set?"
Our squadron held its annual Air Force picnic at Coulon Beach this past Sunday, and it was a fun time had by all. It's quite the oxymoron to actually enjoy a Guard drill, but this 1 clearly proved the exception. PT test on Sat. [95!] and volleyball, football [2-hand touch], tug-of-war, BBQ, jokin' on Sunday...all fun.
I QB'd the 1st FB contest...connected for 2 TD's and caught 1 later as our team pulled out the victory 28-21. At V-ball time, my squad played terrific and ended up finishing the day undefeated [4-0]. In the process, I unintentionally developed a nifty signature move...the "jump-set." People looked / sounded quite enamored w/ the move, which actually finds its roots in my avid tennis playing. Fellas Baxter and Frijas jokingly kept cheerin' me on, repeatedly callin' me their "hero" and the "MVP!" At one point during the 3rd game while they were "cheerin'," they actually asked me to teach 'em the move. I just replied, "Hey, I'm just tryin' to be the J. Stockton / GP / S. Nash of V-ball." Then people started rollin' w/ laughter...
All in all, a fun-filled 5 hours...
Our squadron held its annual Air Force picnic at Coulon Beach this past Sunday, and it was a fun time had by all. It's quite the oxymoron to actually enjoy a Guard drill, but this 1 clearly proved the exception. PT test on Sat. [95!] and volleyball, football [2-hand touch], tug-of-war, BBQ, jokin' on Sunday...all fun.
I QB'd the 1st FB contest...connected for 2 TD's and caught 1 later as our team pulled out the victory 28-21. At V-ball time, my squad played terrific and ended up finishing the day undefeated [4-0]. In the process, I unintentionally developed a nifty signature move...the "jump-set." People looked / sounded quite enamored w/ the move, which actually finds its roots in my avid tennis playing. Fellas Baxter and Frijas jokingly kept cheerin' me on, repeatedly callin' me their "hero" and the "MVP!" At one point during the 3rd game while they were "cheerin'," they actually asked me to teach 'em the move. I just replied, "Hey, I'm just tryin' to be the J. Stockton / GP / S. Nash of V-ball." Then people started rollin' w/ laughter...
All in all, a fun-filled 5 hours...
Friday, September 10, 2004
"F*** the H-O-S, I roll w/ I-R-[i]-S"...
It's official...I'll be startin' on 10/7 at 0930 sharp. M to F. Athletically, it's been real crackin' lately...but soon it'll be time to mix in another type of crackin'. And yeah, it involves a whip... *ouch!* Too early! =p
[*do the Puyallup...karaoke?]
Fr. 7-10pm on 9.19 thru 9.26, the P. Fair is holdin' a karaoke competition...w/ a Grand prize of 2 G's. I'm definitely givin' it a shot. You should too! If anything, it'll be interesting [along w/ "excruciating" at times, of that I'm sure] to be a part of. I'm still fond of 9.22.01, and if I can replicate the F-U-N of that performance, it'll be coo...
It's official...I'll be startin' on 10/7 at 0930 sharp. M to F. Athletically, it's been real crackin' lately...but soon it'll be time to mix in another type of crackin'. And yeah, it involves a whip... *ouch!* Too early! =p
[*do the Puyallup...karaoke?]
Fr. 7-10pm on 9.19 thru 9.26, the P. Fair is holdin' a karaoke competition...w/ a Grand prize of 2 G's. I'm definitely givin' it a shot. You should too! If anything, it'll be interesting [along w/ "excruciating" at times, of that I'm sure] to be a part of. I'm still fond of 9.22.01, and if I can replicate the F-U-N of that performance, it'll be coo...
Thursday, September 09, 2004
"The good"...
[1.] Yesterday I took my 1st set ever off of homie Andy who's a 4.0 / 4.5 player...
[2.] Got offered the IRS GS-5 job today! =p
"The bad"...
M's lost again and Ichiro only had 1 hit...
[1.] Yesterday I took my 1st set ever off of homie Andy who's a 4.0 / 4.5 player...
[2.] Got offered the IRS GS-5 job today! =p
"The bad"...
M's lost again and Ichiro only had 1 hit...
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
"the Mantra"...
I will not be distracted. I will maintain my focus. I will not be distracted. I will maintain my focus...
[*forthcoming...]
9.8 ~ Blue '01 Accord EX Coupe 5 spd. w/ 6 CD for 11.5K? *drool*
9.10-9.26 ~ Do the Puyallup!
10.3 ~ CDC [AF] test
10.4 ~ the GS-5 Jobby-Job?
10.15-10.17 ~ Mill Creek Tennis Tourney
10.22-11.6 ~ brother Mike back fr. Kuwait
I will not be distracted. I will maintain my focus. I will not be distracted. I will maintain my focus...
[*forthcoming...]
9.8 ~ Blue '01 Accord EX Coupe 5 spd. w/ 6 CD for 11.5K? *drool*
9.10-9.26 ~ Do the Puyallup!
10.3 ~ CDC [AF] test
10.4 ~ the GS-5 Jobby-Job?
10.15-10.17 ~ Mill Creek Tennis Tourney
10.22-11.6 ~ brother Mike back fr. Kuwait
Sunday, September 05, 2004
"3 sets and it all falls down..."
Up 6-2 / 2-0, 4 tallies fr. victory, my heart quit. If you find it, I pray that you'll be kind and fill it up w/a hug or 2 'cause it's runnin' on an E tank.
Up 6-2 / 2-0, 4 tallies fr. victory, my heart quit. If you find it, I pray that you'll be kind and fill it up w/a hug or 2 'cause it's runnin' on an E tank.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
"On to the Semi-Finals!"
Triumphed 6-1, 6-2 in the Quarters! Feelin' sharp...
Triumphed 6-1, 6-2 in the Quarters! Feelin' sharp...
Friday, September 03, 2004
"Hello Quarter-Finals!"
Won a gritty 3 set match today against the #1 seed / defending 3.5 champ...6-3, 5-7, 6-4! To his credit, the guy had a Scud-missile serve and monster forehand. Fortunately I neutralized his arsenal in the 1st set and most of the 2nd set. In the 2nd set I actually had a 5-2 lead and 8 match points that my opponent valiantly fought off. He ended up takin' the set 7-5...
For the 3rd set, I had to block out of my mind the colossal choke clinic I put on in the 2nd set. I played each point individually, in the moment, and tried to stay calm and play loose. Patient. Like a King Cobra, waiting for the right time to unleash the venom. The tactic ended up playin' a big role in guiding me to the win...
[*speakin' of venom]
Since the All-Star break, Ichiro's been spittin' some Major League venom at the expense of AL pitchers. W/ 28 games remaining for the M's, he's now just 40 hits fr. shattering the ML single season hit record established by George Sisler in 19 freakin' 20...
Won a gritty 3 set match today against the #1 seed / defending 3.5 champ...6-3, 5-7, 6-4! To his credit, the guy had a Scud-missile serve and monster forehand. Fortunately I neutralized his arsenal in the 1st set and most of the 2nd set. In the 2nd set I actually had a 5-2 lead and 8 match points that my opponent valiantly fought off. He ended up takin' the set 7-5...
For the 3rd set, I had to block out of my mind the colossal choke clinic I put on in the 2nd set. I played each point individually, in the moment, and tried to stay calm and play loose. Patient. Like a King Cobra, waiting for the right time to unleash the venom. The tactic ended up playin' a big role in guiding me to the win...
[*speakin' of venom]
Since the All-Star break, Ichiro's been spittin' some Major League venom at the expense of AL pitchers. W/ 28 games remaining for the M's, he's now just 40 hits fr. shattering the ML single season hit record established by George Sisler in 19 freakin' 20...
"Goose, goose...duck!"
Crushed my 1st round 3.5 opponent...6-1, 6-0. Literally! In the 2nd set, w/ me up 4-0, my opponent chipped a ball back and charged to the net. I unleashed a rocket fr. the backhand side, and he ended up gettin' clocked in the chest. I asked him if he was OK, and he said "yeah, I think so." It wasn't my intention to actually hit the guy, but it didn't stop me fr. being content w/ the shot...
Crushed my 1st round 3.5 opponent...6-1, 6-0. Literally! In the 2nd set, w/ me up 4-0, my opponent chipped a ball back and charged to the net. I unleashed a rocket fr. the backhand side, and he ended up gettin' clocked in the chest. I asked him if he was OK, and he said "yeah, I think so." It wasn't my intention to actually hit the guy, but it didn't stop me fr. being content w/ the shot...
