A Poem for Saturday: "How to Steal the Laptop of Your Childhood Nemesis" - Eric McHenry

Sometimes Slate posts poems and we all benefit. Here you go:

She keeps a spare key in a hollow rock
outside the kitchen door she doesn’t lock.
Her lights are on. Her sheltie is all talk.
You shouldn’t need the code for the alarm
(1234) because she tried to arm
the thermostat again. You’re getting warm.
Her master suite smells like a Hallmark store.
Her vanity is huge. Try to ignore
the fact that everything’s a metaphor
and that I’ve let you walk right into it.
Blow out the Yankee Candles she left lit.
Take in the master bathroom. Take a shit.
Flush adamantly. Agitate the handle.
Refill the Softsoap. Light a Yankee Candle.
Her MacBook Pro is hiding, like the Grail,
in plain sight. Anyone but you will fail
to look directly at that bathroom scale.
Open her desktop. Close her Yahoo! Mail.
She keeps her recent photos in a folder
called “Photos.” Click a thumbnail and behold her
in sunlight in a champagne off-the-shoulder
sheath wedding dress, fussed over by attendants.
She’s 40 and has come into resplendence
like an inheritance, like heirloom pendants
flattering ear and flawless collarbone.
I should have told you, or you should have known,
that she has changed the most and aged the least
of all your enemies, her face uncreased
by laughter, worry, shame, or self-denial.
Those are her cheekbones. That’s her cryptic smile.
Those are her footsteps on the kitchen tile.

Stornoway Concert Recap: "...a love that's as sure as the morning'"

My first time at the Urban Lounge. Can you believe it?

We showed up half an hour late, but it didn't matter too much. The opening band hadn't started yet, and there were only about 10 other people in the venue. Perfect.
Jeremy got a Red Bull, and I haven't had one of those since high school. I vaguely remember them tasting like melted Smarties, but I swear they've changed. Now they have more of a Warhead flavor.  So gross, but you can help but keep taking sips.

As the band warmed up, we parked ourselves at the front of the stage and admired the set-up:

Jeremy says that's about $2000 worth of pedals right there. Nice.

I liked the first band, Horse Thief. They had great energy. Check out one of their tracks:

Cool cool. 

Next up, STORONOWAY! Look at 'em go! 

Such a talented group! Brian Briggs the frontan has the loveliest voice. He did a couple unplugged songs, and they were flawless. Jon Ouin is on keyboard, and brothers Oli and Rob Steadman are on bass and drums respectively. Rob is also an artist. I picked up some postcards of his work after the show:

They also had a great violinist (Rahul). Instruments included a metal stool, ripped paper, and a saw cutting through wood:

That's Tim with the saw! We got to chat with him for a bit after the show. He tours around with a bunch of bands including Camera Obscura. They're coming back next month to Salt Lake, so let's check 'em out, eh? 

Overall it was great great great. And informative! Brian kept telling us little facts. Such as, did that porcupines have anti-bacterial skin? And that 100 years ago some guy shipped some whales to the Great Salt Lake and let them loose and they sort of disappeared? Yeah, I don't know if I believe anything he says, but that's ok.

To end, here's a version of one of the songs they did.

Cheers!

Come on, let's continue!

Oh hey guys. No poem today! I'm moving them to Saturdays. ALSO did  you know I went to Dallas, California, and started a new job all in the past couple weeks? I owe you some updates. But for now, here is a video of a darling little girl giving a tour of her garden:

The video is from this post from the New York Times. Pretty cute.

Music for your Midweek: Chico Buarque

This song has always been haunting to me.

I did a bit of research, and this is what I found (from wikipedia): 

"During the Brazilian military coup of 1964, Buarque wrote about the events which transpired and avoided censorship by using cryptic analogies and wordplay. For example, in the song "Cálice" ("Chalice", or Jesus' Last Supper "Cup"), a duet written with Gilberto Giland performed with Milton Nascimento, he takes advantage of the homophony between the Portuguese imperative "shut your mouth" --cale-se-- and "chalice" --cálice-- to protest censorship against freedom of speech by the dictatorship, disguised as the Gospel narrative of Jesus' Gethsemane prayer to the Father to pass from Him the chalice of bloody death probation. The line "I wanna sniff diesel fume" is a reference to the death of political prisoner Stuart Angel, who had his mouth glued to a jeep's exhaust pipe during a torture session."

wow wow wow

A Poem for Thursday: "The Waking" - Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.

Music for your Midweek: Born Ruffians

Oh golly guys this is just so good. These guys were supposed to come to Salt Lake next week, but they cancelled(?) What does that mean? Is it MY fault????? Anyway, it's probably for the best because they were sheduled to play the same night as Marina and the Diamonds, and in the same venue (?) But I'm still super bummed. Hope they come around again sometime sooon!

Give'em a listen.

I have more songs from them to share, but right now I'm mooching off the hotel's "business center" computer since I'm in Dallas for training and it's awkward so....

You'll just have to wait.

Start Summer Now

Summer is now. I deem it to be so.

It's my last official day as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the South Franklin Community Center (!), but it doesn't feel like it since I'm starting as a VISTA Leader here in the United Way office in a couple weeks. On Tuesday, I'll fly out to Dallas for training, fly back to Salt Lake on Friday, and then head out to San Francisco for the rest of the weekend. phewf. As for this weekend, there's the rooftop concert, a Real Salt Lake Game, and Cinco de Mayo. Oh and tomorrow is Star Wars day. I'm hoping to channel Leia a la 30 Rock.

Summah summah summah time. amiright?

The following can be your soundtracks for the weekend.

The new Iron and Wine album is on point. It's funky. Who'd a thunk?

Here's another great one, and I came about it in a weird way. My best friend from high school  Ingrid, is part Norwegian. Some of her family friends came to visit the summer before our junior year, and brought a ton of cds with Brazilian music. I guess it was trendy there at the time? You can hear it's influence in music from Kings of Convenience. Anyways this collection is one of my FAVES. It was curated by David Byrne, so you know it's gotta be hot. I love love love it. 

My brother found this album on vinyl. IT IS SO GREAT!!!