Some new tunes...finally

Hello everyone!  It's been a little while since I've posted any tunes on here.  I'm not really sure if anyone actually looks at this blog and likes any of the music I post so I guss that's part of it, but I've also been feeling a bit like I should write about some of the experiences Karie and I have had, the good and the bad.  So maybe someday I'll put some of those thoughts down, but for now I'll just put a few quick links up to some of my new favorites/discoveries in music.

 



Jenny and Tyler - American Dream

I just discovered this little duo, I don't know much about them just yet but they caught my ear, and I can tell that I'm going to like them. Here's a link to their website.





Rick Seibold - Mary

Yeah I know all these musicians that don't have music videos yet, but I really like this guys sound,  I think he has potential.  What do you think?



Eric Hutchenson - OK It's Alright With Me

Of this group, I think Eric hs the most potential.  I've enjoyed his whole CD and actually can't pick which track is the stand out track on the album,  There are two or three standout tracks that I llike.

 

Anyways,  I have quite a few more songs in the backlog that I'm anxiousl to post about.  But my last one is a shout out to my friend Mitch Hansen of the Mitch Hansen Band.  Mitch and I served together on a mission and became great friends,  I can't say I'm surpised He's turning into a great musician, and recording artist in his own right.   If you are a fan of the Twilight books like I know my wife and all her friends are check out, the mitch hansen band  

Our Sad News

I may write more about my thoughts and feelings on this later, but they are somewhat tender right now so we'll see.

Many of you know Karie and I have been very excited about our news that we were expecting our first baby in March.  Well unfortunately this week on Wednesday, we found out that we have had a miscarriage.  We found this out the same afternoon my Grandma J passed away.  

We are heartbroken about this news but trying to stay positive.  The only reason I'm posting this here is it's much easier to let people know this way, than it is in person. Also thank you to everyone who has offered their support, through emails, flowers, etc.  It means a lot to know you're there.

We will also miss our Grandma J.  I'll try to write a short tribute to her on here soon, but I know she is much more comfortable right now.

A few one line memories of Granny J:

Taffy cookies, Steal the Pile, Coke, Readers digest Jokes, Fiery Red Hair, Christmas Morning, the Charleston, the Lumina (aka IrmaJ) and so many more.

 



 

The quote I used at Granny J's funeral

"Though otherwise a “lively” attribute, hope stands quietly with us at funerals. Our tears are just as wet, but not because of despair. Rather, they are tears of heightened appreciation evoked by poignant separation. Those tears of separation change, ere long, becoming tears of glorious anticipation." - Elder Neal A. Maxwell Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Looking for a new...old car.

I just copied this over from Karie's blog...she said it so well...

Summer-Car-Problems

We're cursed! I don't know what it is, but every summer that Mikey & I have been married we have had major car problems. This summer has proven to not disappoint. Our lovely '95 Ford Taurus has been over-heating, so we took it in to see what the damages were. We were expecting a repair of maybe $500 & we figured that was on the high side. Oh no. That was the low side. If we choose to repair our lovely "Darwin" (named after the previous owner), it will cost us over $1000! :( So now we're to the questions of "Is it really worth it? Or should we just put that money into a more reliable car?"

So, we're just putting it out there just in case, but if any of you know someone who is looking to sell a decently-working car, we might be interested! We just need something to get around town. So really, if you know anyone, let me know! Thanks!

(Not that it really matters, but this isn't a picture of our actual Darwin. It's a picture of his cousin I found on Google. Darwin is a "lovely" sky blue.)

Memories...

Ok, so this is the first time I've posted anything like this but it actually seemed fun. I saw it on my friend Camille's blog. I'm not really sure if anyone reads this blog anyways...but here it is Here are the directions...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.C'mon now, anything funny, strange, cool, embarrassing, or awful you remember about me??

Also Karie has started a blog... it's http://mikeyandkarie.blogspot.com/ so check hers out!

Matt Wertz

Been a while since I posted a song, so I'll just drop it here for you. This guy is named Matt Wertz, and he isn't mainstream just yet, but hopefully he's on his way. One of these days I'll take some time but for now I'll just drop you a link to a couple videos.

Matt Wertz - 5:19

5:19 (Acoustic Version)

Difference between Men and Women...

So I've decided I'm going to branch out a little on this whole blogging thing. Now not only will this be a place for me to share great music that I'm currently into, but a place where I share some of my own spiritual and other lessons I'm learning as well. I know Karie is working on starting a blog as well so stay tuned for that. Until I think of something useful to share I thought I'd post one of my old papers I wrote in college I recently found on my computer I really would love to hear any additional insight you may have on the topic... The assignment (in a nut shell) was to offer some perspective on the difference between Men and Women. Keep in mind this was just before I met Karie, and though much of it still generally rings true, it was written from my single and frustrated perspective...

Women

Men and woman have traditionally been thought of as thinking very differently about things. For most of my experience with those of the opposite sex I have been in a state of confusion in my attempts to understand them. It seemed like whenever I tried to guess exactly what they were thinking, I came up short. Girls, as far as I was concerned, were nothing but a headache, a headache I simply couldn’t resist. That is one strange thing about men, we gripe and complain about the women in our lives and our failed attempts to try to understand them, but when it all comes down to it that’s the subject of our one-track mind.

An analogy might help us understand the difference between the sexes. Men could easily be compared to the books many of us read in the first and second grade—the Dick and Jane series. These books are all extremely basic and short. Typically there are about three words on a page. Only those elements required to make a complete sentence are stated. Short three-word sentences such as “See Dick run” or “Dick chases Jane” fill the entire book. Men, much like these books, are generally simple minded and basic in their thinking. Little thought goes into explaining any additional meaning his words might have.

On the contrary, woman could be compared to a Shakespearean play with many plots and subplots. Rarely will you understand the intricacies of the play the first time through. It is likely you will need a study group, an instructor, Cliffs Notes, and perhaps even background knowledge of history to grasp its full meaning. Very little is directly spelled out for you in Shakespeare, but much is left for you to interpret and figure out on your own. However, when the time is taken to understand, your love for it grows, and you are a better person for it.

The trouble is men try to read women as they would the “Dick and Jane” books. They interpret things literally and fail to look for the deeper meaning behind what’s said. They don’t even think of the tone of voice it might be said in, or that she might not be spelling out exactly what she means. This frustrates woman, for to them it is clear that saying something like “This kitchen is a mess” really means, “Will you help me clean the kitchen?” To further complicate things, women often interpret the “Dick and Jane” language of men as they would Shakespeare. Instead of taking the phrase “Dick chases Jane” at face value, women wonder, “How fast is Dick running?” or “Does Jane want to be caught or is she just playing hard to get?” In addition they might further analyze, “Is this a playful chase, or a stalker chase?”

These differences in thinking are the root of all confusion in dating. A simple, yet not so simple, solution is to meet half way. Men can take a little more time to listen and think about what women need, perhaps even listen a little more deeply to what they’re saying. Women could try to minimize the guessing games and interpret actions more literally. If we do, there will be much less confusion and more harmony in our lives.

Heeeeeere's Jamie Lidell

I know I've totally been a slacker in the blog department (which is why Karie will likely be starting a family update blog at some point) but, I decided I'd take a minute today and post a couple new songs. Just to get back in the habit of it.

Check out Jamie Lidell if you're looking to funkify your music collection. His music feels a bit like a throwback to me, a little funk, a little soul, and a little bit of that "I can't hold still while this song is on" type of music.


This was the first song that got me interested in Jamie about a year and a half ago when Karie and I went on our trip to California. Since then he's released some new tunes which are also a lot of fun.

The song that recently helped me rediscover his tunes is called, "Another Day." The video is a bit strange, but all in all is pretty fun.



I'll be curious to see if anyone can name the Michael Jackson music video which seems to have had at least some influence on this video...