Leaplings

Well, for all of you out there in the blogging world, here is an interesting tidbit of personal information. My great uncle (my grandfather's brother) is turning 23 years old! He was born in 1916 and is turning 23!

Actually, today is only the 23rd time since he was born that he gets to celebrate his birthday! He is a leapling and while he is actually going to be 92, its just more fun to say 23!

Also, one of my best friends sister is celebrating her 1 year wedding anniversary today! Granted, its 3 years late...but she did get married in a leap year!

So Happy Birthday PetePop and Happy Anniversary Dawn & Kerry!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up :Tuesday's Singer/Songwriter Edition

Okay, so what...a day late, a buck short, I'm writing the report...wait that's a different song... Anyways, here it is, the brand spankin' new Monday Mix-Up. You voted for it...it is the Singer/Songwriter Edition:

• Jewel - Jesus Loves You (from the album This Way) - A song that makes your think of the world around, and hey it even says "showing tata's on the TV is okay"
• Ryan Adams - If I Am A Stranger (from the album Everybody Knows EP) - Another good song. This artist I started liking when I went to UF, but have yet to see him live. His genre stretches from soft to heavy rock to bluegrass and country!
• Don McLean - Till Tomorrow (from the album American Pie) - A classic album, a classic singer, a great song!
  
• Carly Simon - You're So Vein (from the album Reflections) - So... is it Mick or Warren or James?
  
• John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads (from the album The Essential John Denver) - One of my all time favorite "oldies." It reminds me of the campfires at one of the Boy Scout camps I used to go to. We would all sit around and sing John Denver, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan songs for hours!
  
• James Taylor - My Traveling Star (from the album October Road)
  
• Kenny Loggins - Return to Pooh Corner (from the album Return to Pooh Corner)
  
• Paul Simon - The Boy In The Bubble (from the album The Essential Paul Simon)
  
• Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Work (from the album Forrest Gump) - A fantastic song, and one that I would probably dub the most provocative and the most meaningful of all rock and roll, mainly for the time it was done and the message that it sent out.
• Peter, Paul, & Mary - Puff The Magic Dragon (from the album The Very Best Of) - A song that has so much meaning to me. Not because it was sung to me when I was little, but because of the magic that goes with it. When I was much younger I went on vacation with my parents to Hawaii and we visited Christian Reese Lassen's gallery there. He had a painting called Hanalee which was a shore line that had a little hut on it, and the story was that as it got darker the light inside the cabin would brighten and Puff was home...The picture had that effect that as the lights on it were dimmed, the cabins lights naturally brightened.

Well, fellow bloggers, that is it! The singer/songwriter edition of the Monday Morning Mix-Up. Make sure to vote for your choice for next weeks Mix Up! Until then, enjoy the music!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Beatles Edition

You swooned over them coming to America way back when. You bought their records in mass droves, and you taught us younger generation to love them as well! Brought to you by Pat...here is the mix-up...Beatles Style! (Don't forget to vote for next weeks choice!)

• Because (from the album Abbey Road) - It's a song...and it's by the Beatles and evidentally because the world is round is a reason to be turned on!
  
• Blackbird (from the album The Beatles aka The White Album) One of my absolute favorite Beatles songs! It is also one that I didn't really know about until recently!
  
• And I Love Her (from the album A Hard Day's Night) Did you know that the Beatles did instrumental music? No...me neither!!!
  
• Another Girl (from the album Help!) An upbeat and fun song about having a girl on the side?
  
• Hey Jude (from the album Love) A classic! Enough said!
  
• Baby Your A Rich Man (from the album Magical Mystery Tour) Again, a fairly repetative Beatles song, but good!
  
• Yellow Submarine (from the album Revolver) I realize now that the Beatles liked to put their songs on as many different albums that they could! I think I have this song on at least 3 or 4 different CD's.
  
• Norwegian Wood (from the album Rubber Soul) It seems that the Beatles also liked to sing about birds....the subtitle to this song is This Bird Has Flown!
  
• Something (from the album 1) A beautiful song! Has been covered by a number of artists but nothing like the original!
  
• Back In The USSR (from the album Anthology 1967-1970) It starts out mentioning Miami Beach!
  

Well that's it for the mix-up this week! Look out for 5 new choices for next weeks mix-up! And vote-vote-vote!!!

The Week End Wrap & Review: The Odyssey Edition

So this week has been busy preparing for a non-profit competition that I volunteer with every year called Odyssey of the Mind. It is creative problem solving for kids from Kindergarten through to College! So while I have been at home, printing out copies and preparing packets, a lot went on! Here it is!

What I Saw: So far this week I have watched Into The Wild, which was a fantastic movie! Let me preface the rest of my review with the fact that the original Jon Krakhauer book was the very first non-fiction book that I ever read. I wanted to read it after seeing an interview with the author and hearing about the story of Chris McCandles. The book was fantastic, even though it is a tragic story. As far as the movie goes, it treats the book and the real life tale with all the respect and honesty that it deserves! Sean Penn is a master director and all the fantastic actors really created a masterpiece! I also got to see the Oscar nominated Juno, which was also a great movie. Bitterly sarcastic and dark, with a twist, it was a fun movie, reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine, but a completely different story. Another thing that I have done over the past week is watch the entire first season of Jericho! Now, for those of you who don't watch this show...try it out! It is fantastic...very reminiscent of Stephen King's The Stand!

What I Heard: This week I had the opportunity to get an advanced copy of Dolly Parton's new album, Backwoods Barbie, and let me tell you it is great! I know I don't ever really talk about the music I don't care for, but that would be because I don't listen to it! Two of the songs to listen to are current single "Better Get To Livin'" which is full of advice we always hear, but pleasantly put! Also, listen to her cover of "Drives Me Crazy" a great version of this song!

What I Read: Well this week I had the chance to finish Dave Barry's History of the Millennium...So Far, which was witty and sarcastic and full of laugh out loud moments...many at the expense of Florida! But, if you need to catch up on the history of America from 2000-2006, then this is the book for you! I also decided to start Paula Poundstone's autobiography/memoir/comedy book, but I have not been able to get past the first 20 pages. So, I think it is going in the suspended pile while I move on and finish something else! As for whats new...nothing has been decided on yet...

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Post Grammy Edition

Okay, so today's Mix-Up is a tribute to the Grammy Awards that took place last night! Here is the very first Top 10...

The Top 10 Mix of Songs by 2008 Grammy Performers

• Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (from the album The Diary of Alicia Keys) - Alicia has won a total of 9 Grammy's since 2001, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year!
• The Beatles - All You Need Is Love (from the album Love) - This album of the new Cirque de Soleil show in Vegas is phenomenal. It takes the classic songs and orders them in a way that a story is created! It also just won a Grammy!
• Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive (from the album Good Girl Gone Bad) - This young starlet from the Caribbean Islands is the hottest commodity in the music world! Everything she sings goes to the top of the charts and she pushes the boundaries incorporating Rap, Pop, and Rock! Her song Umbrella was the "Everywhere" song of 2007!
• Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry (from the album The Dutchess) - A fantastic song, from a woman who has come into her own! She is a Black Eye Pea, who has gone solo and soared. She has won three Grammy's with the Peas and was nominated for her first solo award this year!
• John Legend - Again (from the album Once Again) - A new soulful voice! In the short time that he has been around (this is only his second album) he has won five Grammys including Best New Artist!
• Carrie Underwood - The More Boys I Meet (from the album Carnival Ride) - From her second album, not eligible for nominations this year, Carrie has mastered her style. She already has won five Grammy awards (more than any other Idol) including Best New Artist!
• Feist - 1 2 3 4 (from the album The Reminder) - A Best New Artist nominee last night, this song was the Apple iPod or iPhone song earlier this year, which catapulted this Canadian songstress into stardom.
• Amy Winehouse - Rehab (from the album Back to Black) - It is ironic that Amy was in Rehab when she won Best New Artist last night along with other awards, but it didn't stop her from playing via satellite from London!
• Kanye West - Hey Mama (from the album Late Registration) - Last night Kanye opened his set by playing Stronger, but then went solo, dropped the rap act, and sang this song, to his mother, who he lost late last year. In the 4 years since he was at his first Grammy's he has won 6 Grammys.
• Tina Turner - Proud Mary (from the album Simply The Best) - The duet of Tina and Beyonce on this song, showed that Tina still has it...the voice, the legs, the whole groove!

So that my friends is the first of the new Top Ten Mix-Up! Don't forget to vote on what you want for next weeks Top Ten Mix-Up!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: New Edition

Well tomorrow will mark the umpteenth time that I will probably forget to do the Monday Morning Mix-Up! So...I am relaunching the Mix-Up! That is right! It will still be a music mix-up, however, each week will feature either: a single artist, a certain genre, a certain time period, etc.

So tomorrow, I will post the first Top 10 Mix-Up, and I will post one additional thing...a poll, to determine the next weeks theme! So after tomorrow it is up to you all out there in Bloggerville!

Ready...Set...GO!

The Week-End Wrap & Review: Babysitting Edition

So I have spent this whole last week up in Coral Springs, babysitting my cousins, which has been, well tiresome to say the least! Just try keeping 13 and 14 year old girls in line! It is not easy, especially since they are in that perpetual stage of hating each other. Anyways, besides that things have been going on, since I have gotten here. Anyways, here it goes:

What I Saw: I watched some television this week. Lost was again a great episode, not as good as last week but still good. We got to know the new cast members early on this season, which I think will help in the overall picture. I also watched The Bucket List, which was a good movie, a little sad at parts, but all together a good movie, with fantastic acting (Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson).

What I Heard: Not a whole lot this week. It was mostly just the radio and some of my older CD's. Reba's Duets was in the player a lot, as well as LeAnn Rimes' Family CD. Both good CD's.

What I Read: Nothing but the newspaper. Tomorrow at work I will have the chance to read some more, and hopefully finish the Dave Barry book.

That's about it! Not a very eventful week! Here's to the next week!

The Record Is Still Ours!

What record would that be you might be asking...well thanks to my new second favorite professional football team the:

New York Giants

Yes, thanks to the fantastic playing skills of Eli Manning, and the catch seen around Miami by Plaxico Burress...the 1972 Miami Dolphins are still the only Professional Football Team to go through the entire season UNDEFEATED!

Thank you New York Giants!

Oh, and for all you Patriot fans, I guess you didn't have a chance to video tape the Giants play-book prior to the game?