Boy, do I have some Tales to Tell...
Today, I received
Her 11th studio album. As always, there's something exciting about getting something new from Her. I keep thinking that it will all just fade away someday. But it doesn't. I think She is most fun when She doesn't have a message. I never listened to her to "get a message". Just to groove and have a good time. And there are a lot of tracks on this album that I groove to.
Although, there is something that makes me think. I always tend to like the songs that critics despise. The songs that make others cringe, I enjoy. Meanwhile, I just don't get why some people cherish the songs that I find boring. But who cares, as long as I get out of it what I want. Which is pure fun. And I will all the way through summer. Later.
I really should hang out more.
And thankfully, in my neighborhood, there have been some recent additions that may be fun to frequent. I've always been a naysayer of the Upper West Side. After living here for more than five years, I still am not the biggest fan. I actually don't like it up here. But the space we have is awesome. So, we stay. For now.
Recently, it got even worse because our favorite place to stop by for drinks, Aix, shut down. Let's just say it gave us another reason to leave. But, there have been two new additions to the UWS that have been interesting. Maybe not enough to reason to stay but kinda nice anyway.
Buceo (sorry no website) is a wine bar that also serves international(?) tapas. The food was quite tasty, the wine selection was pretty good, and the staff was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. It has become the new hang out for my husband and his friend, Donna. I tend to tag along once in a while. I probably will do so more often because I like the place.
Pudding Stones West is another wine bar (and exactly one block away from my front door!) that recently opened. The food looked fine, the wine selection was also pretty good, the staff was... staff. Not poor, not good, just okay. I'll probably go again but certainly not my choice as the first place to go. My husband and Donna like it too (but mostly because she is crushing on the owner, who was not that attentive when I was there). I guess my reason for not being hot on the place was because not a single staff person smiled as we sat at the bar. It's scary that something as simple as that could turn me away. I don't ask for much at all but a smile, especially if you are in the service industry, does matter. It's the entire basis of my retail education.
I also find it interesting that the husband and Donna actually prefer Buceo. They won't say anything bad about Pudding Stones but you can't help but think that the warmth that Buceo extends is much more inviting. Frankly, I felt unwelcome as a non-Caucasian at Pudding Stones. And before you go telling me to get over myself, you better be non-Caucasian yourself.
I hope this trend of wine bars with good food keeps going. It's not enough of a reason to want to live on the UWS but it's nice to have a place to go out and get a civilized drink. Later.
So, this is what happens when you age. What you used to consider a tame night makes you feel like it wasn't. I've talked about feeling old on here before. I seem to be feeling it a lot lately. Remember that feeling old doesn't mean feeling bad. It just means feeling old. No judgments.
Last night, one of my favorite persons in the whole world celebrated her birthday. As she always does, she rents a karaoke room and invites a bunch of us. About 40 people showed up. She invited 30. The room was supposed to only fit 20.
To say that I had a lot of fun would not give it justice. I don't think I have ever sang that much at karaoke. I won't even talk about the choreography that I created to go with my singing. The birthday girl pulled me aside and thanked me for being the life of the party. I had a ton of fun. I had people laughing. I had people singing along. I haven't had that much fun in a long time.
I was scared that I would have no voice when I woke up this morning. But I did. And I went to teach class. And worked out afterward. And now, I am exhausted. Tired. Happy. But tired. Feeling old. I should mention that I also worked out before I headed out to the birthday party. I guess that doesn't really help. But summer is coming.
So this is what happens when you age. You have dinner with your partner. You sit and rest your feet. You grab that gallon of mint chip ice cream out of the freezer. Let it thaw. Get a spoon. Dig in. Blog about it. Because your feeling old. No judgments. Later.
With all the protests and talks that are aimed at the upcoming Summer Olympics, I've been thinking about the relevance of the entire event. Does it all really matter anymore? Are the Olympics even valid? With all the doping, drug testing, and cheating, are the Games even legit?
And with all the unrest in China, the Bush war, our country's war on basic rights, and the environmental issue, is having a farcical athletic event worth it? Not really.
Yes, yes, yes... the Games are a way of relieving the tension of all the "negative" parts of this world. Whatever. The Games are a way for everyone involved to make money. It's spectacle. It's not enjoyment anymore. It's competition but not between athletes. It seems like just another way for our world to bandage its wounds.
I used to love watching the Olympics. But after all these years, it just seems that greed has superseded the search for athletic genius. Sadly, I have no interest in being a part of it. Later.
Do you remember when you were excited to hear the latest album from your favorite artist? Yes, I said album. That was a time when you didn't hear half the album before the entire thing was released. There was something precious about hearing the album in its entirety the day it is released. Sure, you heard the latest single but that was about it. The rest of the songs were heard when you bought the album, on the day it was released, because you waited for the store to open.
Doesn't happen anymore. About half the songs of an album are leaked way before the album itself is released. Sometimes by the record company. People always say that the leaked versions are not the same as the album version. But does that matter? They can't be so different.
So, when the album is released, you probably already know which songs you will listen to. And by the time they are released as singles, you no longer even care. Because you've had them playing on your iPod forever. It's sad. I feel bad for all of us. That excitement no longer exists. There is something to be said about waiting for something. The fruits of your toil are definitely much sweeter. Then again, our current society can barely taste good fruit. They can only see the superficial. The four other senses are just dead.
So, I am going to wait. Wait for
her new album to be released. And I am going to purchase it at a store. And listen to it in its entirety. I may even go as soon as said store opens. April 29th. I'll be there. Waiting. To awaken my senses. To, once again, feel that excitement. All over. Later.
