Day in Review - If I Ran Music Monday...

Bark, Bark, Bark...Bark, Bark, Bark...update on the dog situation...after a meeting with my landlord she said she would send the owner of the dog a note. This was before Thanksgiving.  From  11/24 to 11/27 the dog barked and barked. I lost control yesterday at 5:15 pm when the dog started howling....I immediately called my landlord and while on the phone with me, she walked over to my building in the complex...she definitely heard the howling. Her exact words - "I didn't know it was this bad."  REALLY?!?!?!?!??!  I HAVE ONLY COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES!!!!  Her next words - "I will take care of this TONIGHT!!!".

Today is 12/5...the dog barked from 7 to 7:30 am, then from 4:00 to 4:45 p,, then from 5:30 to 6:00-ish.

Once again I called her.  I think she is getting as annoyed with me as I am getting with this dog. She said she has spoken to him several times and she has to give him time to come up with a solution. I get that, but how long????

My Best Annoyed Face....That I Have A Picture Of...

After this exchange I felt the need to meditate and listen to some fantastic music. Warning...This will be a different type of post from me than regular readers are used to. (If you love music, you will probably enjoy it.  If not...see you next time)

For those of you who do not know or understand my love of music, perhaps this post will give you a bit of insight. I think my love of music goes back to the days of Mrs. Taddie and my first few piano lessons...I can still play "Hot Cross Buns" on the piano, in fact. Mrs. Taddie was my first piano teacher, but not my last. My parents found Tom, a crazy Irishman who had the brogue and the rhythm I probably needed to secure my love of music.

From the piano I went to the trombone (very briefly) to the trumpet that I played throughout junior high and high school.  I also picked up the guitar.  I honestly loved playing guitar and I taught myself how to play a few songs.  What I didn't like were the broken nails and calluses on my fingers.  Recently, however, I have felt the inspiration to get my guitar out of hiding. I know when I get that guitar into my hands I can say goodbye to my baby butt smooth finger tips and my long-ish nails, but perhaps it is worth it. I am at least going to bring my guitar out of storage and into my hands.The thoughts of my guitar made me think of music...and the reason for this post.

Back in high school, I always thought that the music my friends and I listened to were like a soundtrack of our lives. In fact, I can hear obscure songs and bands today and get an instant flashback to one moment in my life, even if it was an insignificant moment to everyone else. We went to school in the late 90s...it was grunge, indie and  quite honestly, just awesome. Kurt Cobain touched our lives, Dave Matthews was a god and my friends and I listened to bands that were essentially one hit wonders when we look back on them...we loved it.

As I got older, I came to realize that music, rather I liked it or not, would always be a part of my life. I found that some music actually touched my very soul.  (If you don't get what I mean, that's ok...If you do and you are single, give me a call...we may be the perfect match.  Still looking for my soul mate. I have a feeling that my perfect match loves music as much as I do...Though I did give up on love,  I will make an exception for a music lover.)

Now that I am in my early 30s and have found the most amazing invention on earth (YouTube), I have had access to music that I have never imagined.  I have discovered so many new bands and singers...I can't even name them all.  I just know that my ipod is almost constantly in danger of spontaneous combustion.

Almost as much as I love music, I love the news...as far back as I can remember, I have watched the news.  Though I don't have a great memory of this, I apparently named one of my parakeets after one of the local news anchors as a young child. I do remember setting my alarm clock in junior high so I would be able to wake up in order to watch the Today Show.

I know...you are probably wondering what music and the news have to do with each other...the answer is coming very soon...like now...

Most people hate Monday.  Me? I love Monday...for one reason...Music Monday. Music Monday is a segment on CNN that features different music artists. I have to admit...it is a bit creepy...why is it creepy?  Only because some of my most favorite artists have been featured on Music Monday. Last week, for instance, I was kind of on a Tori Amos kick and listening to an internet radio station that featured several of her songs...an hour later, I see a message on Twitter that Tori Amos was being interviewed for Music Monday. Perhaps it is only coincidence, but to my mind...it's a little strange.  Creepy things like that happen to me though. As my mom would say, things like this could only happen to me, so I just roll with it. (She's right)

Since I live for Music Monday, I have been thinking about who I would choose if I had the power to pick Music Monday. When I thought about it and looked back on the artists who have been on previous Music Monday segments, many of the people I would choose have already been featured. (The Decemberists (favorite song at the moment - "We Both Go Down Together", Bon Iver - loving "Holocene", Cyndi Lauper - definitely "Time After Time", Indigo Girls - Hard to choose, but just got their new album...liking "Birthday Song" , Cage the Elephant - the hit "Aberdeen" and Journey...I will never stop believing) There are a few of my favorites that have not yet been featured and if I had three Music Monday wishes, these are the artists I would choose...

Adele...I am pretty positive that the Music Monday team seriously would kill to score an interview with Adele, but if you are a fan of hers, you know she has been having some throat issues and hasn't been on tour in the US at all.  If anyone on the "dream Music Monday list" has been able to touch my soul, it is Adele. In my opinion she is able to touch my soul like Alicia Keys does...and that is saying something. If Adele doesn't touch you in some way, you just have no taste in my opinion.  Here is my Adele song of the moment...




My second choice for Music Monday would be the one and only Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. I totally admire her for one reason besides her amazing voice and music....she is 100% her own person.  I am absolutely loving her new release "Shake it Out".



If I get competitive about anything, it is discovering new music before anyone else.  With this artist, I think I did it well...I found Rachael Owens randomly on Twitter before anyone I know and she turned out to be an amazing singer (and actress) who I immediately fell in love with. Since I have known her through the internet, she has released several singles and an album (that I own and sing out loud to).  It has a permanent place on my iPod's main playlist, in fact.  My favorite Rachael Owens song....totally live is "Take a Chance on Me". :)  If you love this, support her! (http://rachaelowens.com/)

 

Let's Pause....(20 minutes have passed)

I have just spent some time thinking about bands and artists I like and I am a bit overwhelmed...there are a lot. It is definitely hard to choose just a few to feature. Above, we have an artist who has a place in music history if she wants it, one who is her own person and one who is new and exciting with amazing promise.  All of them have a place in my playlist and all would be tops on my list for Music Monday. 

I am "no joke" when it comes to music.  I love all kinds....I will even admit to loving Enya and classical music can totally touch my soul as well. I listened to a great rendition of "Bolero" last night in fact if that tells you anything. Other favorites are Robin Thicke, Enigma, Alicia Keys, Safety Suit, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Rebekah Del Rio, The Strokes, Buxter Hoot'n, The Golden Dogs....there are just way too many to list.  I will get way too distracted if I keep going with this.

Moving on... if you love music, you must check out "The Book of Cletis" . He has "Music Saturday" on his blog and had a very interesting clip of The Ross Sisters this past Saturday.

I'm sorry if this this not the normal Christa post you are used to, but I totally felt the need to let out my music love tonight since I am thinking about my guitar. Your regularly scheduled Christa post will be back soon.  If you are new to the post, give a little follow if you love it, leave comments if you hate it and let me know what you are listening to.

Coming Soon ---- "Airing of Grievances", "Letter to 2011", the launch of my new blog (very real and raw) and anything randomly that comes to my mind.

Day in Review - Barking and Shrieking

First..before I even start this post, I want to thank each and every person who is reading this.  Last week I hit 10,000 views on this blog.  That is HUGE to me and it makes me feel like it is worth writing (despite what past men have said).  Thank you so, so much.  In fact, as of the writing of this post, we are up to 11,000 plus views.  This is amazing and awesome. Thank You!!!!!!!

Now on to our regularly scheduled blog post.... 

This is the third week in the a row I have released an audible shriek during the final scene of "Glee".   (Don't judge me.) The shriek reminded me of something that has been going on in my apartment building. No, it is not the meth lab/garage door neighbor across the hall, this little problem is one that is directly below me.

Every weekday...anytime between 6:57am and 7:03am...I hear barking.  This is no ordinary barking.  This is the most annoying barking/howling combination that has ever met my ears. Luckily I wake up early or I would be even more pissed off than I currently am. The problem is, I tend to start work at 7am and it is very hard to write when you hear bark, bark, bark....bark, bark, bark....bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark....bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark...are you annoyed yet?  No?  bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark...bark, bark, bark...yes...it is a pattern...three barks and a pause.  This makes it even more annoying to me for some reason.  I don't like order or neatness so much. I like variety and three barks with a five second pause followed by three barks with a five second pause makes me insane. This has been going on for a few weeks now.  I actually suspect it has been going on throughout the summer, but since my air conditioning was on, I didn't hear it.


I did some research.  I can't help it, I am a researcher at heart.  There is actually a list of steps you are supposed to take when a dog is annoying and also several rules.  This first rule of dealing with a dog that barks uncontrollably is to remain anonymous.  There are (very surprisingly) several murders that have been committed by dog owners. These dog owners have murdered people who diss their dogs. Yes...MURDERED, which is why you are supposed to remain anonymous.  I knew the first rule was to remain anonymous and the first step was to write a simple, anonymous note. This note should be three to four sentences and politely slipped in their mailbox or under the door.

I wrote said note...it said "Your dog barks from 7am to 6pm. Please do something about the barking. It is not safe for the dog and it is very distracting."  I know...it is certainly not poetic, but this was the guidance I got from several websites and templates.  (You would be surprised by the vast amount of people who have dealt with this.  I was simply following the rules of "dog bark etiquette")  For almost two weeks, there was silence....

This past weekend it all changed.  Starting at 10am on Saturday til about 7pm all I heard was barking.  I know it was the weekend, but I still shouldn't have to deal with this noise! Sunday was identical.  Monday, the barking began at 6:58am. Today, it began at 7:01am.  (Yes, I have been tracking)

The second step, according to several websites I saw, was to write a second note.  This one should be more in depth and again, you should remain anonymous so you don't get murdered and should be totally disconnected from the first (so it seems like more than one person is writing).  My second note was slipped under the door today.  It said - "We have noticed that your dog is barking on an daily basis. As dog lovers, we are extremely worried that your dog is experiencing stress, which is not healthy. Additionally, the barking is distracting to the neighbors and our own dogs are stressed out as well since they can hear your dog. We would ask that you take steps to stop your dog from barking. Unfortunately, if you do not control your dog, we will be forced to contact the apartment management for further advice on this matter."  (We = my across the hall neighbor.  He has been "anti-dog barking" too. Furthermore, this is not the meth lab neighbor, but the other guy across the hall)  Fingers crossed that the note works.  I will certainly keep you updated.

Breaking news....as I am writing this, I just heard a strange noise in the hall...I looked out of the peep hole and my meth lab neighbor was spraying air freshener throughout the hallway.  Seriously...he looked like a soldier walking up and down...spray, spray, spray, spray, spray, spray.  Instead of time to make the donuts....well...who knows what he makes in there.  I can vouch that it smells awful.

Not my neighbor, but it is appropriate in this case...

Sorry for that message, but I felt that it was worth mentioning especially if you are a follower of the blog.

I do have an announcement to close this post. If you follow me on Twitter or you are my Facebook friend, you may have seen a special announcement that I have a second blog.  It is nothing like this one.  The new blog is called "The Flip Side" and will be much more serious, likely much more liberal and much more spiritual and  poetic. It will certainly not be for everyone who reads "Confessions of a Girl". If you think you may like "The Flip Side", I invite you to read it as it get's updated. "Confessions of a Girl" will continue as it is...random thoughts, random events, and I daresay, making fun of men I meet online, though I have given up on love (much to my mom's chagrin) I envision "The Flip Side" to be less about me and more about things that mean something to me including poetry, people, events and spirituality. 

Day in Review - The Day After Halloween

Happy Halloween...it is NOT freakin' Christmas yet

It is November 1st...this is apparently the day that the holiday season officially begins.  Pardon me, I thought I still had some time.  I heard my first holiday song today..."Winter Wonderland"...on an indie internet radio station of all places. It is too early.  The day after Halloween should be spent fending off a candy handover and thinking about all of the Saints while you try to decide if you should eat a Snickers or Kit-Kat bar. (we all know you will eat both)  

Maybe I am a Scrooge, but I will not participate in holiday merrymaking on November 1st. I will also not mention any Lohan's or Kardashian's because I don't think they matter to our world. It saddens me that legitimate news channels are focused on these two.  I know...its ratings and money...I get it, I just wish it wasn't like that.  I appreciate entertainment news...I'll be honest, I like entertainment news. I get all of the entertainment news I need from TMZ, People.com and from Lisa France on CNN.com. All of them do an amazing job at entertainment news.  I just don't think that any Lohan or Kardashian should be one of the top news stories in the first 3 minutes of a newscast. I could get on my soapbox about this because I seriously have no idea what contribution any Lohan or Kardashian brings to to my life but I won't, because there are some funny things I have discovered over the past few days.

Let's talk about one of my least favorite people...actually we will eventually talk about two of my least favorite people, but first lets focus on Harold Camping...you know this hottie....he is the guy who has predicted the end of the world three times (and been unsuccessful I may add)  He announced today that he is retiring. He also apologized for being wrong about predicting  the end of the world.


DUH!!!!


So on to my other favorite person, who I have not spoken about very often recently as she is just...well...not important?  It isn't like she was really important before, but she was more noticeable in the world I guess.  If you haven't guessed, I am speaking of Sarah Palin and I stumbled upon this photo randomly and just had to share...

It is not in my nature to ignore this...

If you cannot read what this picture says, this is honest to goodness Sarah Palin toilet paper. Not only is it Sarah Palin toilet paper, it is Sarah Palin toilet paper that isn't even worth $1.99...it is now on sale for 99 cents a roll. If this doesn't make me happy, not a lot will.

Speaking of happiness, I have been a bit "blah" recently.  I need to find some happiness I think.  I guess it's just that time of year.  I needed an attitude adjustment so I did do something that was not only unexpected but quite private.  I let it all go and that is all I will say on the subject. I feel better and I am anticipating good things.

One of the things I figured out when I was trying to find some happiness this week was that today, November 1st, 2011 is my 9 month anniversary of being tobacco free. There has not been a cigarette in my mouth since February 1st.  That is a happy thing, right?

Another happy thing I want to share is that I am estimating, by the end of this week, this blog...yes...my little blog, will hit 10,000 views.  TEN FREAKIN THOUSAND.  That is a huge deal for me.  I remember when it hit 1,000 and now it is up to 10,000.  I wonder if I should send that information to the guy from the last post who said no one ever reads this...MUHAHAHAHAHAHA

If anyone is wondering, I have given up on love, so I haven't been on any dates. I did watch a television show about a woman who is in love with and wanted to marry the Berlin Wall, so I am looking into that lifestyle.  I think the Terminal Tower is single and last I heard, Severance Hall just went through a bad break up so I may swing by both places and see if there is any interest.