These Days

This is one of my favorite songs, and like Jackson Browne's take on the Nico original. I usually listen to KRCL on Saturdays, but they've redone their site, so I can't find playlists like I used to. So glad this tumblr exists to help me out. The lyrics are poignant and bittersweet.

Music for your Midweek: Temper Trap

A song that is just what I need for today:



brilliant brilliant

This gives me Billy Elliott flash backs.

way to go boys.

It's not too late

My dad passed away on Father's Day. I'm still trying to process; it just feels like he is on a long business trip. Every once and a while, it hits me that he really is gone. It's hard to handle.

1958 ~ 2013

Michael W. Devine, 54, passed from this life, with his wife by his side, to return to Heavenly Father on June 16, 2013. He succumbed to injuries sustained in an automobile accident while on business in San Diego.

Mike was born to David R. Devine and Billie Ann Smith Devine, December 20, 1958 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He enjoyed his childhood years in Nevada, graduated from Reno High School. He was proud and honored to serve as a missionary in the Switzerland Zurich Mission. Mike married Rita Cromar in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They would have celebrated 30 years of marriage in July.

After graduating from BYU, Mike attended London School of Economics where he and Rita were blessed with three beautiful children. The Devine family returned to the United States and Mike received his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law School. Mike began his law career in Salt Lake City and also worked tirelessly for his family's business. He spent the last decade of his life following his passion by working with Native American tribes.

Mike loved the Lord, and enjoyed serving and teaching in his LDS ward. He knew how to make all those he came in contact with feel important and appreciated. He was creative, artistic, and a lover of knowledge. Fun-loving, witty, and generous to a fault, Mike's greatest joy was his family.

Mike is survived by his wife Rita Cromar Devine; his children Gretchen, Christian and Jeremy; his mother Billie Ann Devine; his sisters Stacy Devine, Kristin (Richard) Hart, Erin (Shannon) White; His in-laws; Dale and Hevia Cromar, Ken (Barbara), James (Esteban), Rick and his many nieces, nephews, and loved ones.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 22nd at 11:00 a.m. in the Federal Heights LDS chapel at 1300 East Fairfax Road, Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to the service, the family will greet friends beginning at 9:30.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Indian Services Scholarship Fund (801-375-1777).

The Devine family thanks the staff of the Sharp Memorial Hospital for the exceptional care given in Mike's last moments.

My dad and I had a lot of things in common. We both loved learning new things. We both had quirky interests. We both loved traveling, trying new foods, and reading. We were sometimes awkward with people, saying the wrong things at the wrong time, or telling jokes that were too obscure. We were opinionated and wanted to be well-informed. We traded NPR podcasts and New York Times articles.

But we were also very different.

My dad embraced his eccentricities. I do everything to hide mine. My dad seemed like he was never embarrassed. I am always on edge, trying not to say or do the wrong things. From chatting up Mitt Romney on flight back from D.C., to having too-long conversations with the cashier at the gas station, my dad loved to talk with anyone and everyone. I usually choose to keep quiet instead of say something wrong, even with dear friends and family. My dad was open, loving, friendly, and genuine. I don't know how he kept up that sort of vulnerability. Too me, it sounds exhausting. My dad was also often too generous, too trusting. I've rarely made those mistakes.  All the things I avoided (small talk, conversations with strangers, getting to know new people), he loved.

For the past while, I've been irritated by the choices my dad had made. He was far from perfect, (P.S. so am I) and to deal with that, I chose to keep my distance. So among all the emotions I've felt over the past week, the worst has been regret. Why couldn't I just call him up every once and a while? Or just sit with him on the couch when I came home on the weekends? Or just be patient when he messed up? I consciously chose not to spend time with him; my rejection was deliberate. And it makes me so so sad.

Now I'm looking up articles about regret and moving forward, listening to TED talks, trying to get perspective. I don't want to get stuck. All I can do is take the good things I learned from my dad, the example he set, and try and be more like him. I can honor his memory by being more loving and kind.

I just really miss him.

My mom and I talked about how my dad was such an optimist, and we like to think of ourselves not as cynical, but realistic. Now it's time to adopt my dad's outlook on life. Despite all my regrets, I guess I should be grateful that there is still time to become the person I want to be. It's not too late.

Music for your Midweek: Foy Vance

I really really like Warm Bodies. And I'm grateful that it introduced me to this artist. Really lovely:

The Bay

Another super short post that should be super looooong. Again, I'm lazy.

You can listen to this song while you read this post. Mood music, you know?

ANYWAYZ the trip was a whirlwind. go go go the whole time. I loved it.

Saturday morning I flew in, Katie picked me up and we chatted as we drove along the prettiest highway in the world, heading to Palo Alto. She dropped me off at a baptism where I met Ingrid, so happy to see her again. Post-baptism we went to lunch, then to Katie's where I helped her make dessert and salad for a temple trip. Then we met up at a different church to carpool to the temple in Oakland. Searched for the distribution center, finally found it, then did went to the temple for sealings. Picked up pizza for the after-temple get-together. Ate, packed up, drove back to Palo Alto. Met Ingrid at Stanford to watch the Law School Musical. Passed out on the comfiest couch in the world FOR REALS.

Sunday we got up early to meet other 3L students to head off to Sonoma. More pretty drives and getting lost till we got to the winery. Took a lovely tour and sampled olive oil (no wine for us), then went into town for lunch. Drove back, and bummed around campus and ran into an old high school friends's brother which prompted a phone call to New York (Hi Hanna!). Then left to meet up with everyone for dinner with the missionaries at the park. Played some frisbee. Realized I am in desperate need of practice and vowed to buy a frisbee as soon as I got home. Went back to Ingrid's for packing and quick sleep.

Monday! Ingrid dropped me off at the Google campus where I got a great tour from a family friend. Honestly guys. I chose the wrong career in life. Coolest place to work (and you get all the free kale blueberry chia smoothies your heart desires! Heaven!). Katie picke me up, and we drove into the City. Finally! San Francisco! I'd never been before. Here are some pics:

We took 50 million steps to get to the tower. The plants made it shady and bearable.

Taking a breather.

On our way to Chinatown.

Part of an adopted alley with great art.

Katie just fits in here. Look at the color coordination!

Just a building I liked and know nothing about.

BOBA TEA! It's been toooo long.

Fortune Cookie Factory. Did you know they were invented in San Francisco?

Riding the trolley. I LOVED IT I AM 5 YEARS OLD.

Katie rides like a pro.

I whip my hair back and forth.

I ate so much good food that trip and saw so many lovely things. Katie and Ingrid were the most gracious hosts. It was great all around, I didn't want to go home. AND it forced me to seriously consider California for grad school. What do you ya'll think about UC Berkeley... it could happen!

Music for your Midweek: Manel

Another group from Catalan. Ok, probably a big part of my desire to live in Barcelona is so that I can go to shows with band like this all the time:

and here's another one. So silly:

Vampire Weekend Concert Recap: "Who could ever live that way?"

Oh boy I've been such a negligent blogger, I hope you can forgive me.

A few weeks ago, I went to Vampire Weekend! I hadn't planned on going; Red Butte concert tickets are a little steep for me. Then my mom texted me and said she bought tickets!!!!!!

so that she and dad could go.

hahahahahaha

But then my dad ended up heading out of town, and I got to take his place. Lucky lucky me! I saw Vampire Weekend play at Kilby before I left on my mission, and instantly fell in love. I remember there was an Iron and Wine show at Saltair that most of my friends had gone to and a big punk show at In the Venue. That combined with the crazy storm made for a tiny turnout for Vampire Weekend*. But it was super fun for us. When I got back from my mission, they were crazy big with movie stars in their music videos and sold out shows. I was glad I had a chance to see them again.

I'll just mostly be showing you some pics cause I'm tired and it was so long ago, I hardly remember what happened? Oh. I used my mom's binoculars to take most of these pics. I think they turned out pretty cool.

We had fancy treats that we brought from home. 

Rich people.

You got plenty of space when you pay a lot of dollars for a ticket. This ain't no Twilight Concert.

 First were the High Highs:

Keyboard

Guitar

Percussion, but not really part of the band, I don't think?

They were nice and mostly boring.

I painted my nails while I watched (sorry not sorry)

But then they played that track that's in the Pitch Perfect movie and I was pleased.

Isn't it nice?

And here are a bunch of photos from Vampire Weekend and stuff.

They had the WORST intro music. Come on, guys:

And here's the crowd. So weird and normal. and you can see my mom using binoculars:

I really really like Vampire Weekend. They remind me about everything that's good about summer and school. They make me itch to break out of office life.

Ya Hey! My favorite new song of theirs. So my first Red Butte concert was lovely. I'm going to try and catch some others from the hills behind. I think it will be worth it.

*Between sets we left to find an ATM at the gas station. The snow was so horrible, we were slipping and sliding everywhere. A bunch of kids from the hardcore show walked into the gas station, and it was the saddest thing I've ever seen. Their mascara was running, denim jackets all soggy, and there 12 inch mohawks were sopping and deflated

June Mix: Our Last Summer

Here we go. Right on time.

1. Heaven's On Fire - The Radio Dept.
2. Shell Suite - Chad Valley
3. Fallin' Love (Alex Young Remix) - BenZel
4. Since U Been Gone - Tokyo Police Club
5. You Gave Your Love To Me Softly - Weezer
6. Melody Day - Caribou
7. Sweetness - Pearl and the Beard
8. Don't Just Sit There - Lucius
9. Reckoner - Pablo Nouvelle
10. Continuum - Lemaitre
11. Young and Beautiful (Madeaux Remix) - Lana Del Rey
12. Within - Daft Punk
13. Stayin Alive - Capital Cities
14. Karma Police (Radiohead cover) - Brassroots
15. Awkward - San Cisco
16. Ya Hey - Vampire Weekend
17. Somewhere - Sanders Bohlke

NOTES:
1. What are the youth to do? We ain't kids anymore.
2. yeah yeah I know.
4. I live with 5 girls, so there's a lot of falling in love and breaking up around here. This is for them.
5. Golden days. Makes me so nostalgic, I feel ill.
8. Thanks for this Ingrid!
9. I've been on a Radiohead kick lately, so the next few mixes are going to have a bunch of covers of their songs. Hope you don't mind!
11. I think the music was the best part of the Gatsby movie. And the rain scene. And this gif. But I could have done without the rest.
16. Everyone thinks this song is about God, but it's really just about Mitt Romney.

Music for your Midweek: Mr. Hudson and the Library

This is the way to my heart. A hip cover of a musical favorite. I wish I knew about Mr. Hudson earlier: