music

don't be afraid to bask in my unparalelled coolness, but i'm seriously considering learning how to play the.....accordion.

that's right folks, you heard correctly, the accordion. i am newly enamored with irish folk music and would love to learn an instrument that i could play such folk music on. i just can't decide between the ubiquitous keyboard-style or the traditional two-row diatonic B/C scale button-style accordion. many factors must be considered, not the least of which is cost. i think the cheapest button-style i've found so far is $500.

i think my mother will have a heart attack when i tell her, because when she was a child she was forced to learn the accordion and hated every minute of it. maybe she could give me some pointers.

and if i get any snide 'polka' comments, i will throw said accordion at you.

seasons

i can't decide which season is most becoming of my hometown.
when asked, i generally say that my favorite month is november, because fall is such a wonderful time of year. plants start getting ready for the impending cold, sometimes in spectacular fashion. the sun moves to a different position in the sky, casting a different light and making everything look a little mysterious. even the air takes on a delightfully different smell. the oppressive heat of summer gives way to a briskness in the air. i'm getting all nostalgic.
well, that's what fall is SUPPOSED to be like, but it never really delivers here in riverside.
but then there is spring. grass gets greener. daffodils and tulips give an early shot of color to the landscape. wildflowers make everything look more cheerful. plants and trees of all kinds come out of winter dormancy and put on the new year's clothes. but hands down, the best part of spring in riverside is when the orange groves are in bloom. there are still enough orange trees around here to make the wait for spring worthwhile. all the citrus trees are blanketed in little white flowers that give off the most delightful scent that hangs in the air and becomes thick by dusk. it compels me drive around with my windows rolled all the way down and makes me wish i had a porch swing so i could linger outside on warm evenings.
i think spring would win out over fall if it weren't for my allergies.
stupid hayfever.

drought

i have just been relieved of a 24 hour media-technology drought.
the fine folks at charter communication, who provide us with cable and high-speed internet, apparently had some kind of malfunction and we were without both services since some time yesterday morning. i have never before realized exactly how much i have come to depend on the fact that cable and internet are always there at my whim.
i already know that i would have no problem living without either of those luxuries, but it would have been a lot easier to deal with if i had known it was coming. at least i've gotten a lot of reading done.
so i can now resume watching the various television shows and surfing the various internet sights which seem to suck my time into some undisclosed vortex.
should i be happy about this?

irish fair

today micah and i went to the los angeles irish fair and music festival.
it was good times.

irish food, irish music, irish dancing, irish people...

they even went so far as to dye the water in the fountains green.

there were some awesome bands who were obviously proud of being irish...and even made some good music.

good times, good times.
i'm definitely going again next year.

exercise

yesterday i was out jogging through my neighborhood (that's right folks, i said i was jogging. i solved my shin splint problem and decided to start it up again. i walk more than i jog, but a person's gotta start somewhere.) so like i was saying...i was jogging through my neighborhood and saw a lady pull partway up the driveway of the house which was unfortunate enough to host the neighborhood mailbox in their front yard. she got out and fetched her mail and got back into her car and backed out. my first reaction to seeing this was 'wow, that's kinda rude'. but then i kept watching and saw her proceed to pull her car into the garage of the house NEXT DOOR to the house with the mailboxes.
wow
and people wonder why they have weight and health problems.
i'm still a bit speechless.

festival

micah just brought to my attention that there is an irish festival going on this weekend at the la fairgrounds. the first thing that comes to mind is 'why haven't i heard of this before?' the next thing that comes to mind is 'why have i never heard of this before?' i mean, really. i'm not being a very good irish person. so i guess i'm going to go get my irish on this weekend. awesome.

peer pressure

by popular demand (maybe 2 people), i've decided to bring the old blogger account out of retirement. i will now be dual-posting my thoughts and ramblings both here and on myspace so as not to leave anyone out.
enjoy.