update for the holidays

Well, despite being snowed in for two days, I haven't managed to update my blog for a while. So, here's what's been happening:

Yes, Colorado had a HUGE blizzard this week, wreaking havoc on anyone having to travel for the holidays. Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera (maybe for christmas!!) so here are a couple images that I stole from my sister:

I do have the ablility to work from home, so I've kept busy and the cabin fever didn't set in too bad. My poor little Saturn is still pretty buried, but I don't have to drive myself anywhere until Sunday, so I'm hoping for some major meltage.

Living in a condo complex can get pretty humourous when there's a blizzard. Nobody owns a snow shovel... we have people to move our snow for us, thank you very much. Which means that on the rare occasion that we do have to shovel our cars out from under a 4-foot drift, we are forced to use whatever may be at hand. Bowls are popular. I used a big one to dig my car out of the 2003 spring blizzard. I even saw someone using a cafeteria tray...

This week, though... someone appeared in the parking lot with a real, true, honest-to-goodness snow shovel. He dug his car out to an audience of about half a dozen other residents. I figure they were waiting to pounce on him the second he was finished. I watched all of this from my living room of course. Shovel snow? Ha! Good thing I waited too, because a bulldozer showed up at 10:30 last night and cleared out the parking lot, nearly freeing my little Saturn, even. Who plows at 10:30 at night, you may wonder? The city of Westminster, that's who.

In music news, Stephen Colbert won his shred-a-thon over The Decemberists' Chris Funk in the Rock n' Awe Countdown To Guitarmegeddon. Of course, he had to cheat to do so... by "cutting" his hand on Rick Nielsen's 5-necked guitar and having guitar legend Peter Frampton sit in for him. Oh, he also bribed the judges. For shame, Stephen, for shame. We all know that Chris totally outshredded your right-wing ass.


On a more personal front - with the exception of KOSI 101's Continuous Christmas Music for the few hours I was in the office today, I've listened to nothing but The Decemberists for the past 26 hours. Why? I don't really know. I feel like it doesn't have anything to do with Guitarmageddon (although look at Chris flashing the devil horns in front of that green screen, oh yeah), I've just been in that kind of mood. Albums, EPs, live shows... I'll quite possibly burn out soon. But probably not... I'm not sure that I could ever suffer from Colin Meloy burnout... :)

I should move on from The Decemberists, though, especially now that I've had all sorts of 2006 album suggestions from all the "best of" lists floating around out there. It's amazing how much music is released in a year... Here are some lists from friends, acquaintances, music sites, what have you:

The Line Of Best Fit
Cambridge Sucks In The Summer
More Cowbell
Pitchfork Media
Muzzle Of Bees
NME
Amazon.com

But first, I think, in an attempt to get into that holiday spirit... (yes, I managed to break away from those pesky Decemberists while I've been typing):

COME ON! LET'S BOOGEY TO THE ELF DANCE!

Tie up your boots! Jump off the ladder!
Pack up your clothes! Nothing's the matter!
Mistletoe hangs up in the bedroom!
Your sister's bangs, she cut them herself!
Santa is here! Sleighbells are ringing!
Twenty-one elves! They are all singing!
K-Mart is closed! So is the bakery!
Everyone's home watching TV!
Santa Claus is coming!
Hear the banjo strumming!
Santa Claus is coming!
Hear the banjo strumming!

Chestnuts and fire, holly and hay!
Jesus and Mary! What a great day!
Evergreen tree covered in snow!
Tower of Babel! Tower of gold!
There's Aunt Marie and Uncle Bob!
They give us good gifts,
Like mittens and socks!
Hijack a snow plow! Clear out the streets!
Tell all the neighbors there's cookies to eat!

Get up off the floor and give a shout!
There's a lot to shout about!
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He's got the greatest gifts around!
[Away in a manger]
Santa Claus is coming!
Hear the banjo strumming!
Santa Claus is coming!
Hear the banjo strumming!