Adventures of the Wandering Moose

It's been far too long since I updated my blog, but honestly I finally settling back into some sense of a routine. I know this last statement may sound like an excuse, but I truth be told I've really immersed myself into learning the ropes in my new environment. I've been on the job for about a month now and things are going well thus far. And within the first two weeks I ventured up to NYC & CT for a family wedding. This will be the main subject for today's blogcast.

I made it to NYC late on Friday night and got back to Memphis on the early morning red-eye Tuesday am. Upon arrival I headed straight to the office and haven't looked back. Needless to say you don't really need to know every last detail of my trip, it's hardly worth telling...But here are some of the highlights from the trip:

*Cool breezes & late night chats/people watching from my uncle's deck on the upper west side.
*Long, wandering roads in western CT with limited access to the rest of the world.
*Adult libations to help ease the tension at the large family gatherings.
*Country weddings kept short, dogs actively participating as ring the bearer and dancing on shoeless in the grass.
*Eating lunch with friend in a quintessential New England town beside a covered bridge and gazing at the river (See Adventures of the Wandering Moose).
*Spending a lazy afternoon in the Sheep Meadow of Central Park chatting up yet another friend.
*Dinner & Dessert in the upper west side (See Crumbs).
*Shopping at an actual Kiehl's store.
*Random encounters & people watching on the Subway with my Ipod soundtrack.
*The Natural History Museum dioramas
*Happy Hour at Carmine's with an old college buddy.

Good times, I tell ya, Good times! Here are some pics of my Adventures at the Wandering Moose Cafe, the views of the covered bridge across the street & Cupcakes with Jess:






Sorry to disappointment all who may have tuned in who thought I might blog about today's release of the new Apple Iphone. Don't worry there might be some editorial from me about it after I talk to my sister's boyfriend who camped out for his new phone/music player/portable browser today.

Another Nail In My Heart

Ok, so today didn't go exactly as I planned. It started off quite nice. Met a friend for some coffee before work. (Always a nice to be with a friendly face before the rough and tumble of a working day.)

Then I accomplished a lot of little tasks in the morning, before heading off to run errands for Operation Feed (a work fundraiser for the Memphis Area Food Bank) at lunch. Unfortunately when I got to my first destination, I ran into my mom who asked "When were you in an accident?"

To my surprise I said, "What Accident?"

So per her direction I pulled into Saddle Creek and surveyed my damages. To my horror my car had indeed been dinged. In fact whoever hit me had sideswiped my car in the same place where my neighbor had hit my a few months before. Twice in one year my car gets nailed while being patiently parked & empty. Inconceivable!!!

At least I was able to easily resolve the situation the first time with my neighbor to get the car repaired. This time I didn't even get the common courtesy of a note. I'm honestly saddened and a bit irritated that someone thinks it's ok to hit a car (especially mine) and run off.

But then again, I'm not surprised. I just wish people wouldn't run away from responsibility or accountability in situations like what happened to me today. Then again, I may be asking too much of people in society. It certainly won’t change who I am and the things I do for others because of the incident. Yet right now I can say with this fresh wound I’m fully disappointed in my fellow man.

I wouldn't spend my life just wishing

As of late I’ve been a musical rut. It probably has something to do with the fact I went to see Walrus* this past weekend. Or maybe it’s a symptom of starting a new job. But the truth is I find comfort in music. I’ll admit that I’m a bit addicted to Sirius Satellite 22 (Classic Alt-Rock) when I’m at home, but boy do I wish I had it in my car. And practically every playlist on my ipod is filled with some Alt-Rock offering.

To make a long story short I’ve been wired with the gift of listening to some good tunes. I just sure wish that I were talented enough to produce some musical genius myself. But I shouldn't spend my life just wishing and leave it to the professionals (or at least my good friends who are musicians)…

*A fun Memphis 80s/Early 90s Alt-Rock Band

So Alive

Unemployed but not for long...

So I began my stint of being unemployed on Friday, May 18, 2007. And I'm not going to lie it's been quite enjoyable. It's funny how a little time off can do you a bit of good. I've been able to catch up on many weeks of missed sleep.

I also ventured out of state to Chicago to visit my sister. Let me say it was quite the adventure. Sarah (who is also unemployed) and I made a quick little jaunt up to Windy City. It was packed with many memories to fill a lifetime. And good thing Sarah was such a sport for a riding the Ferris Wheel (once) at Navy Pier and braving a car ride with my sister and I all over the city. The trip was packed with all the shopping, sights, laughs and many a wonderful filling meals that you could pack into 72-hours.
Since my return from Chi-town, I've been able to start the massive CLEAN-UP effort on my house and spend time with friends. And everything was going on track for a great time off, until I waylaid myself with a back strain. Please note that futon mattresses look heavier then they appear.

So since the great mattresses move of Memorial Day weekend 2007, I've been laid up on the couch watching bad TV and movies. I even consulted Dr. Lisa who confirmed that my self-diagnosis treatment of rest, icy/hot and Advil would lead me down the path of recovery. And this rehabilitation sequence needs to make a miraculous resurgence since my unemployment is coming to a rapid end this Friday, June 1st.

Mr. T says...

"Treat your mother right!"

Happy Mother's Day!

Stolen

Beale Street Musicfest 2007

Memphis in May…Beale St. Music Festival…World Championship BBQ Contest…The Sunset Symphony. All the events intended to salute and highlight a country recognized by the city of Memphis. All being highlighted in hottest, stickiest and rainiest month in the mid-south! This year we are saluting Spain, but the reality this event usually only captures 3 things key concepts:

1. Music
2. Food/Drink
3. Mud

I mean Memphis in Mud is always an exciting spectacle. The people watching alone could send you into a sensory overload. Yesterday I ventured downtown in a slight drizzle for the last day of musicfest. Besides seeing the likes of Guster, The Barenaked Ladies and Corinne Bailey Rae. I was treated to some wonders to surely behold.

I saw a nice fellow who was shirtless. He was kind enough to not just tidy his chest hair by waxing it away. No, no he really wanted to make a statement, so he shaped his chest hair like a yellow smiley sticker. Enough said – the site was branded in my brain.

Then there was the little girl who was cleansing herself in the mud, yards away from her mother. Now I know lots of folks who pay good money to get covered in mud at the spa. But this was no ordinary mud – it was mud created, by rain, spit, spilled beverages and who knows what. I fear that kid might now be toxic. My suggestion would be to quickly get her some shots or at least a flea dip – stat!
I also ran into or saw countless kids that I’ve known since they were small children, who are now running around by themselves enjoying the festivities. And then we had our close encounter to Ed Robertson (lead singer of The Barenaked Ladies) who brushed past us not just once but twice!

Truly it’s just a surreal event where people of all ages converge to listening to music, gorge themselves on fair food or become entwined in the exhibition. Let’s just be grateful it’s an event where gawking, dancing in the mud and singing at the top of your lungs is approved and recommended!

Top Nine Live Songs from Beale St. Music Festival I heard yesterday:
1. Fa Fa – Guster
2. C’mon – Guster
3. Brazil – Guster
4. Satellite - Guster
5. Brain Wilson – The Barenaked Ladies
6. Break Your Heart – The Barenaked Ladies
7. Straw Hat And Old Dirty Hank – The Barenaked Ladies
8. Pinch Me – The Barenaked Ladies
9. Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

One Man Wrecking Machine

Cannonball

This song is reminder of the old 96x, learning to drive, sophomore year and two-a-day summer soccer practices. Now it’s once again permanently stuck in the rotation of my mind after hearing the opening riff at trivia last night. It also is a reminder of Jan’s old default ring tone. I’m so in need of a new tune to distract me from this last splash…

Strawberry Fields Forever

Like all good things in life, some things are best shared or revealed by your friends. And that’s exactly how I was introduced to the downtown Memphis Farmers Market. My good pal Jess spent a year in town clerking for a judge and living downtown. Now she’s back to hustle and bustle of NYC.

But during her time here we took many trips around the city where I introduced her to some of my favorite people, place and things in Memphis. And she of course lured me downtown for some unexpected adventures too. One of my favorites memories of Jess living in Memphis has to be her fondness for The Cheesecake Corner, The Arcade and the Memphis Farmers Market.

The Cheesecake Corner and The Arcade were old hat to me after working downtown, but the open air market at the old train station - now that was an adventure. I had previously visited farmers markets in NYC, Kansas, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and the small one at Agrocenter in East Memphis.

But never had I been to such fun and inviting farmers market experience. And it was found here in Memphis - bonus! It’s nice to have an outdoor market that offers fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, jams and more. The family friendly atmosphere offers more then just fresh food. It offers music, entertainment and human interaction. The weeks are always highlighted by a weekly theme that supports the delicious goods being produced by local Mid-South farmers.

This week “Strawberry Fields Forever” theme promises lots and lots of fresh scrumptious strawberries. I’m hoping to be able to venture down there to indulge in some fresh berries. Anyone care to join me?

Summer Skin

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I believe Jack Johnson states it best in “The 3 R's” song from the Curious George Soundtrack:
“We’ve got to learn to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”
It amazing to me how easy many people and places have made it for us to recycle, but “we the people” as a whole don’t take advantage of these opportunities. And many of us our guilty, including myself (on occasion), of finding it easier to ignore the FREE resources put in front of us.

For starters Memphis has had curbside recycling program in the city of Memphis since the mid-80s. Growing up my family home was selected as a test-market neighborhood, which supported the recycling project. I was lucky enough to be old enough to tote our bin back and forth from the curb every Wednesday. And it taught me just how easy it was for one family to care enough about the environment to use the bin to recycle our bottles, cans and newspapers.

The streets and recyclable pick-up days may have changed, but my parents are still faithful to the habit of recycling. And when I purchased my house the first question I asked the former owner was when recycling & trash were collected on my block.

And during this school year our religious school is collecting aluminum cans for recycling. In exchange for the money earned from recycling, the kids are able to purchase animals through Heifer International. These gifts help struggling communities worldwide fight hunger and poverty, while continuing the mission of caring for the earth.

My hope is that the kids will take away how recycling can benefit not just us, but those around the world.

My latest adventure in recycling came this past weekend. For the first time ever I attempted to rid myself of some of my E-Waste. It did not go quite as smoothly as I would have anticipated. I thought it would be easy, but after some additional information I was able to clear all the obstacles and dispose of my old dead Ipod and defunct laptop battery. I think we probably as whole don’t realize how much waste we really generate, until we seek out solutions on how to dispose of those electronic gadgets.

If you have concerns check out the manufacturer who created your product or find a local electronic recycling drop off center. But please don’t just toss it in your curbside bin. It will just sit in that landfill for… WELL FOREVER.

Or donate your outdated equipment to your favorite charity. They might be able to turn that obsolete cell phone or computer equipment into recycled non-profit cash.

Again, we should all head Jack’s words:

“If you’re going to the market to buy some juice
You’ve got to bring your own bags and you learn to reduce your waste

And if your brother or your sister’s got some cool clothes
You could Try them on before you buy some more of those
Reuse, we’ve got to learn to reuse

And if the first two R’s don’t work out And if you’ve got to make some trash
Don’t throw it out
Recycle, we’ve got to learn to recycle,

We’ve got to learn to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

Where My Peeps At?

Now that Easter has come and gone all that remains our the precious peeps (which are NOW in the 1/2 price bin) next to the broken chocolate bunnies...

Of course some folks were up to the challenge of not just eating, but also playing with their peeps this year! And the Washington Post threw down the gauntlet with their first-ever Sunday Source Peeps Diorama Contest. The peep show really brought a grin to my face and I hope it will brighten your day too!

Below is a picture of my favorite scene titled:

"Say Anything: I Gave Her My Heart, She Gave Me a Peep"By Julia Morse
But don't take my word for it. Check out these Masterpeepers for yourself. Thanks to KCJ for directing me to this little afternoon pick me up. My only hope is to make others have a good old fashion giggle with my peeps.

Going To The Zoo...

Well I headed to the zoo again to FREE Cranbeary, unfortunately she's still sacked out in the animal hospital recovering. And since it was Easter Sunday and quite slow, I decided to rethink my escape escapades. My friend Sarah (a.k.a. - my twin) and I decided to pal up with the Pandas, before heading over to visit Payton & Haley. All the animals seemed to be living the laid back life on this fine Sunday morning. Anyway, it probably would look way to obvious if I tried to escort a large white bear from the grounds. Here are some picture from our visit with some musical captions...

Sleeping In - The Postal Service
Get Up - R.E.M.
Here With Me - Dido
Hospital Food - David Gray
Hands Open - Snow Patrol

Life On A Chain

I came across this video of Pete Yorn shot at his Memphis concert last November. It made me laugh out loud remembering our night with Pete at the New Daisy. I believe this video was shot by the smelly fellow that was standing quite close to us that night. Which could only mean that you can hear me straining/singing along with Pete. And you might actually hear the crazy girl that was standing near us screaming "I WANT YOUR HAT!"

Fantastic Fabulous

"Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today."
-The Princess Bride

I have to say this weekend was fantastic fabulous! I was able to share most of the weekend celebrating my friend Lisa & Dave’s wedding. It was definitely a grand Weddingpalooza extravaganza that brought people in from around the country and France.

The bride who is a childhood friend of mine, looked amazing – you couldn't wipe off that smile on her face if you tried. And Dave is such a sweet and caring guy. You can see how they balance each other within minutes of being around them both. I wish them the best of luck as they begin their new journey together.

The other fantastic thing about Lisa’s wedding was that it brought together so many folks from her various stages of life thus far. I was ecstatic to celebrate her simcha with her, but also it gave me an excuse to catch up with old pals from religious school, jr./sr. high school, camp and college. And as I get older the divide that separated me from the rest of the world seems to shrink considerably. I’m constantly reminded how small the world is, through the levels of connections we have between people. This wedding is a reminder that we really do live in world filled with 6 degrees of separation. And these connections, re-connections and encounters really make life blissful.

All You Need Is, All You Want Is...

5 Thizzles You Ought To Know for Friday – 3.23.07

1. March Madness – Just like the mighty Mississippi, the basketball madness just keeps rolling along. And anyone with a pulse would have to admit it, these games do not disappoint. KU guts out a gritty win against SIU to make it to the Elite 8. Breezing past Niagara and Kentucky in Round 1 was the easy part, now boys – Let’s take the hill! Memphis pulls in another big win against Texas A&M and makes school history. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT BACK-TO-BACK Elite 8s for the TIGERS – Go Tigers Go. As you might guess I’m only a smidge happy to be able to keep Rock Chalking along this weekend!

2. Mr. Smith Goes to Minnesota – I woke up this morning to news that Tubby was leaving Kentucky for colder pastures. I feel really bad for the next person to enter Rupp Arena as head coach for the wildcats. They expect perfection every year during tourney time, while the pretty people sit back, watch the game and down another mint julep. And Tubby’s winning style and dedication to his players should please the Golden Gopher faithful. It’s the little touches that make Tubby Smith a stellar college coach and all around good guy.

3. Britney’s out of Rehab – The bald beauty is back on the mean streets after "successfully completing" a stint in rehab. I for one will be sleeping easier, knowing Britney is back in the public eye. And I’m just curious about what she will do next. I’ll admit it – she’s like a train wreck, you don’t really want to watch, but you just can’t seem to turn your head away.

4. Pet Food Recall - It was revealed that Rat Poison was the containment in many major brands of pet food. It's very scary to think the food you purchase could possibly cause kidney failure of your favorite four-legged friend. My condolences to those out there who lost their pets during this incident. I'm just lucky I choose to feed the Parkster hippie, organic dog food made in California. But that still doesn't stop him from the occasional lasagna he finds at Shelby Farms or the massive amounts of chicken he consumes as mid-day snack from my step-dad.

5. Movies - Why are there so many mediocre flicks out in the theater right now? Seriously, it's downright depressing the lack of visual or thought-provoking stimulation provided so far this year by the movie industry. I guess it's a good thing there is a lot of engaging action in March Madness.

Well that's the 5 Thizzles You Ought To Know for the week. Check back soon and TGIF!

Rallying Behind Yet Another Polar Bear

This proves one thing – I’m a sucker for those cute, white polar bears! Yes, I’m quite aware that some of these animals grow up to be vicious carnivores, but when they are small they just seem so DARN CUTE! And as they get larger they still look pretty DARN CUTE. They seem like such wonderful creatures to visit and observe.

This week however has been a very controversial time for the Berlin Zoo. They’ve been keeping a baby polar bear (Knut) alive by feeding and caring for it after it’s mother rejected the young cub and his brother (who didn’t make it). Normally zoos in Germany let these animals live by the law of nature (and do nothing), but not in this case. The Berlin keeper sleeps, feeds and even strummed him some Elvis Presley tunes (yep there is always a Memphis connection). "Cute Knut" as he was dubbed by the press earlier this week has really become somewhat of a celebrity polar bear. He's even had a photo session with famous entertainment photographer Annie Leibovitz. So what’s not to love about our new furry pal…