A Good Denver Post Article

My dear friend from Texas, one of the 90% of Boulder's population of non-locals that migrate themselves to the area, once said, ever so eloquently, that in Boulder "you gotta hustle". He was alluding to the fact that, though Boulder is a mid-sized city and allegedly laid back, this is an expensive place to live filled with busy people trying to make a buck and survive. Driving (or biking) around Boulder between the hours of 10 and 2 you begin to wonder if you aren't actually in a 3 million person city in the center of an urban hub. To live in Boulder, you gotta hustle.

In a recent conversation with another friend we discussed the rise of You, Inc. Gone are the days of long-term stable jobs offered by single employers. You are your career. As I launch my own personal career I view myself as my most stable employer. My experience is my cmpany history, and my online socal networking is my marketing arm. Today's DP reiterates just this.

Death of full-time jobs

These days...

Currently I am sitting in Amante, the location of my new favorite java fix. I am here finishing a project for the latest start-up I am working with, a Boulder style start-up making investments in philanthropic-oriented enterprises, and where we ride bikes to work and sport flip flops around the office. I have begun to fear that I inherited my grandfather's disease of chronic entrepreneurialism will never be able to escape the need to work in small, growing, unstable environments. but this is a good gig and I'm thrilled about it.

In other news I AM working for the Man at another deal I reluctantly accepted at the Vitamin Cottage, a job I was forced to accept after two weeks of unemployment and facing the reality of my financial situation. Needless to say, it has been an interesting job. I am a cashier, and perhaps the worst cashier ever too. My lack of attention to detail has really bit me in the ass on this one. My drawer is consistently under by several dollars at the end of the night and one time--just once--I (accidentally) let a woman slip past me without paying. Whoops. But I am friendly, perhaps too much so, and chat it up with every weirdo that comes through my line, and then some. Check back for a series of unbelievable Boulder natural grocer customer stories...

Wrapping up projects with a couple other companies, I am trying to find time to get my thoughts out on the net. They are stored in the noodle and wanting to make their way to Unbridledtoungue. Ugh.

Boulder remains Boulder. The People are protesting Roundup Ready sugar beets, summer is lovely, and the first weekend of August resulted in an abundance of garbage exceeding the capacity of every dumpster in my alley. The annual student move-in-move-out at the turn of August is always an adventure, particularly for my neighbor Sydd, who collects garbage and adds it to his treasury of exterior house decorations. You know the house I speak of... with the infamous peak of irons, shrine of old shoes, and collection of rooftop vacuums. Sydd may be the only Goss/Grove citizen that looks forward to the Aug 1 weekend. But hey, even I benefited from the massive purge and Sydds's subsequent thriftiness, as I scored a new vacuum, which he found among the debri and fixed right up for me. Zing!

Kayleigh and friends also moved out of their apartment. It was a sad moment in time. We sat upon the empty floors for one last circle of peace and laughed about the nutty things that had happened in that dump of an apartment during their one year stay, including the time that their schizophrenic neighbor, having run out of his medication, stopped by to ask if he might borrow a phone to call emergency services or the time he stopped by to borrow cardboard and a sharpie to make a sweet panhandling sign - no joke. Or the countless nights out the ended in scarcely recalled dips in the ghetto Canyon-side pool. Ah how youthhood ends so swiftly and presently I find myself working 60+ hours, wondering when I will next have dental coverage.

Well, no complaining from this blogger.... I had a season of Play (many, in fact, and a few loonnnngg seasons) and now I emerge myself in a season of Work. The cycle of life balances itself.

A quiet re-entry

It won't last long: it never does. But I'll post occasionally...

Spending Diary- Days 3, 4, and 5

Ah the weekend. Obviously the weekend is the time of week where spending money is easy and fun. Lately I have been experiencing a series of Play Day weekends, where playing begins usually before noon and does not stop until the wee-est hours of the following morning, which takes a toll on the cash. There are errands to run, bars to tour, concerts to be seen, farmer's markets to visit, cooked breakfasts to be consumed, and on and on. There are weekends that are so damaging to my budget that to check my account totals on Monday I need a shot of whiskey and a stick to bite. I refused to allow my spending freeze to deter Saturday/Sunday Play Days, so I had several strategies for saving:

-I took out $40 in cash on Friday and vowed not to touch plastic for the remainder of the weekend

-Mom came up on Sunday for Easter, which is a nice break for the wallet

-I compromised some of my liquor standards and decided to drink cheap beer and down some nasty shots

Friday I was busy working all day and made no time for spending during the day. Breakfast at home, and a homemade salad for lunch.  

In the evening I lifted $40 from the account and had my money for the weekend. To this my two kindest friends, Megan and Kayleigh, laughed and called me a fool, which only served to increase my defiance about over-spending during weekend fun. That evening, I found $25 in my backpack I forgot I had, which I decided would be my secret overwrite protection in case the $40 disappeared quicker than expected. 

Friday evening began with free yoga-score! Thereafter we indulged in a delicious meal of lentil tacos made by Kayleigh- yum!! Nice one Kayleigh. We dressed ourselves to head out to the bars, but at the last minute changed our course and headed to..... oh this is good...... a TOGA party at a house, which was choice not only because toga parties are bitchin, but liquor is on the house. Spending freeze tip: HOUSE PARTIES! We did, however, have to a take a cab home, which totalled a ridiculous $17 for 4 people. I contribubted $5 to the tab and that was the day.

Total spent for Day 3: $5

Saturday morning began with an abolsuely delicious breakfast at The Kitchen with the Raab family, where I ordered braised chickpeas and gawked at Cal Ripken Jr, who was also enjoying breakfast with his family two tables away from us. Thereafter we hit up Farmer's Market, which was full of energy and many Boulder People. Yay Farmer's Market! I bought a jar of Whiteside Honey Co raw honey for $4, and a bag of arugula from Isabelle Farm for $6. It was easy to resist spending at Farmer's Market, since it is still too early for all the real veggie goodies.

Onto the next event: sitting around for a while at Alex and Kayleighs to digest and recover from the previous evening. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was on TV, which we watched almost all of- free! Next, Kayleigh picked up her 80-pound charity bike from Megan and we went on a bike ride to Pearl since the weather was so delicious. We met Alex and proceeded to walk around Pearl for 75 minutes seeking the PERFECT location to have a beer. After several circles and much confusion we settled for Boulder Cafe, and had 2 rounds and some shrimp. Due to our delay in finding the perfect locale, we slipped in just in time for happy hour and the total bill was only $13, tip included- not bad!

For the evening we all headed out to the bars. To save on bar spending we had some drinks at home, which included but was not limited to shots of blanco Sanza and Jim Beam (yes a serious breach of standards I know)  and I personally had a 0$ bar tab.

Total spent for Day 4: $21

Sunday began with church, which cost me 1$ that I put into the offering plate, such a cheap Christian. Brunch was on mom, and treats following on the farmer. For a rainy day activity my mother and I drove around North Boulder to look at the unreasonably beautiful, gutted homes at the edge of the foothills, a completely fascinating endeavor that was totally free (if you do not factor in the small quantity of gas consumed to drive around). For dinner we cooked and later we headed to the Laughing Goat for a sweet, FREE performance from Dj Zuk, which was so chill I almost floated away. 

Total spent for Day 5: $1

I stayed well under my $40 for the weekend, had tons of fun, and didn't tap into the extra $25 I found! Take that Megan!

Spending Diary, Day 2

So the trick is to stay really busy. When you are busy spending money is at the bottom of your list. But also when you are busy, you are eager for a nice drink at the end of the day, which was the case yesterday. 

In the morning I prevented myself from spending on the usual--chai, food, errands, etc--by going on a long run, the result of which made me simply crave lots of water....free!

Having done the grocery store the night before, I saved on breakfast, lunch and dinner with items from my fridge, and there was even some left over chocolate from the previous evening's affairs, which held me over during the afternoon lull of trucking RFPs and emails emails emails.

After work, however, Kayleigh got paid and finished an exam so it was beer time. I picked up the Liquor Mart special, a 12-pack of Widmer Brew Fest variety pack, on sale for 12.49.....ah how I love you Liqour Mart....and we indulged. Not feeling particularly energetic later, I opted not to visit Walbut Brewery with the rest of the crew and went home for some reading and music, both of which I have already paid for.

Today has to be tight, because tomorrow is Farmer's Market, where spending too much money is all too easy and has not guilt associate with it because, duh,  its the Farmers's Market. 

Total spent for Day 2: $13.51

Spending Diary- Day 1, part II

The $0 I spent yesterday very quickly became $32.30 due to a cooking oversight, so I have to amend Day 1. 

It all came down to butter. My tasty dinner, a zesty fresh salad with delicious mashed potatoes and fresh green chilies from Abbondanza, was on the stove and on its way to finished when I remembered that I had no butter, no milk, and no olive oil, rendering the perfect mashed potatoes with green chilies dish impossible. To Sunflower we went and my bill rang up as: 

Napa Valley olive oil: $12.99

3 boxes of cereal: $13.57

Nature Valley butter: $4.99

Fresh strawberries: $4.00 (note: Tis the strawberry season! Organic strawberries 2 for $4!!)

Nappa Valley grapeseed oil: $9.49

Rudi's bread: $5.29

2 Chocolove chocolate bars: $5.18

Total:  57.30 

minus: $25 from my partner in crime

My damage: $32.30

Granted, only one item was necessary for the completion of the potatoes, but this is likely my last grocery store visit of the week, so I had to prepare. Since Sunflower incurs the majority of my spending money I figure it will have to take the greatest cut during my great cut-back. But it was nice to be home again at the old Sunflower. I absorbed as much of the lovely produce display and aroma of natural food products as possible. This will sadly be my last last Sunflower visit for the week. 

Real total spent for Day 1: $32.30

Spending Diary, Day 1

On Saturday I opened my online checking account and promptly stopped breathing. I had way less money than anticipated and what's worse is that all the spending was on food and booze. I am embarrassed and mad about my unconscious spending and have decided it is time to start better monitoring my spending money. I know there a plethora of fancy online tools and other banking features that automatically document this for you, but writing about it is clearly more fun. 

So the next week is dedicated to documenting my now very tight budget and the clever ways in which I can save money. 

Prologue Day (yesterday): I expected to have lunch with my friend Bethany at Saxy's, a new deli I was excited to check out, and in typical form she overslept. Rather than pick up a sandwich on my own, I abstained from the restaurant and grabbed lunch at whole foods instead. I am on a veggie kick this week so I went for sesame kale, a very inexpensive selection at just $2.52 for one of the small plastic containers at the deli, and roasted beets, which was more expensive at $4.15 for the same size, due to the weight. Note: Go for the greens rather than roots veggies because you'll save on weight. 

A side  note about salad bars... Whole foods should really offer an smaller alternative to the large cardboard containers at their bars. The temptation to fill it to the edges and with all the heavy goodies like tofu, boiled eggs, peas, and artichoke hearts is unfair. What begins as an endeavor to create a simple, low cost salad quickly becomes a massive $12 purchase. To date, the least expensive salad I have managed to purchase at the Whole Foods salad bar was $6.80. Next time, I'm gonna stick it to 'em, and make a salad thats less than $5.

With my food, I grabbed an organic Recharge for $2.99 (the organic is only .49 cents more) and I had to get the larger size because I was in need of electrolytes after a morning run. The food, drink, and an emergency box of tampons totalled$17.25, which ended up being perhaps comparable to what I would have spent at Saxy's, but I also got the veggies and tampons I needed, so I'm pleased. 

This was my only purchase yesterday. I developed a massive headache at the end of the day and really wanted to grab a chai to test if it was due to caffeine, but opted to taek two Aleve, which I had at home, and called it good. No more purchases for the rest of the day.

Money spent yesterday: $17.25

Day 1 (today): So far I have spent nothing, but entirely by accident. I didn't spend anything all morning, but later had to get out of the house to do some work and determined I deserved a chai so stopped at Brewing Market. After ordering I realized I didn't have my wallet with me and the hot barista I made small talk with gave it to me for free. Score! I was glad that I didn't pay, however, because their house chai was shitty. I have to spend another few hours in a coffee shop tonight so I will have to make another small purchase, but I will spend 150% on my drink with 50% going to the barista tip to balance out the karma from this morning. 

I am bumming because I ate the remainder of my cereal this morning, which means I need to make a purchase decision. Do I purchase the delicious, tiny box of organic granola at $4.49 and wake up tomorrow delighted about my first day's activity, or do I forgo spending and eat the equally healthful but not nearly as motivating for getting out of bed eggs already sitting in my fridge??  Okay, so $4.49 is not a lot of money, but going to the store is, especially on double savings Wednesdays at Sunflower Market. If I go, I will pick up a loaf of bread, Rudi's for $5.99, which will, annoyingly, be my second bread purchase of the week, since I somehow misplaced my previous loaf. On that note, I will save myself some food money by keeping better track of my food, but that is another story....

I am getting around on the scooter and bike due to nice weather. The scooter still has half a tank, which should give me another 25 or 30 miles, at least another week, when I alternate it with biking. So my gas budget--about $10 monthly-- is also reduced. Score!

No money spent on lunch today, I packed a bit of the very large salad I made on Sunday, which I have been portioning out throughout the week. I can extract only one more salad from that one, and will need to find a new lunch solution for the rest of the week. Definitely thinking I need some bread...

Money spent so far today: $0

The Techne of Food or Sex

An interesting article was passed onto me which suggests that food has become a great deal more significant than mere sustenance, and that breaking society's accepted eating codes is now comparable to breaking sexual morality codes. Simply, the author states "there is a new scarlet letter in town: its spelled XXL."

For context on my comments to follow, read the article....

I am strongly convicted by this article. I try my best not to sell out to contemporary trends or dogmas, but it seems I have incrementally and blindly fallen into the snobbish ways of the foodies. I recently heard Christian Lander, author of Stuff White People Like, speak in Boulder. He suggested that the premise of his media concept is that classes remain divided and one's class is designated by that which he consumes. In congruence with this notion food is, above all, a designation of one's lifestyle, education, and community. Do you eat small or large portions? Do you eat organic? Do you eat local? Do you eat often? Do you sit down to eat or eat on-the-go? Each answer connotes something different and ultimately serves to classify the individual. 

We have fashioned an entire moral code based on our food consumption and bought into it with such diligence  and fervor that we are completely unaware of it. I, for one, have recently fallen hard for it. Last summer, a couple friends and I participated in a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. We did it to learn how to cook vegetables and to save money on produce for the summer. Little did we know we had actually bought our ticket into a whole new social class where "proper" consumption of food (local, organic, etc) was the superior moral behavior. I found myself mentioning this little tidbit in random places to test how widely we might receive affirmation for our good behavior. In church, on the bus, at the grocery store, at parties, the conversation would come up (or rather, I would force it up) that we "had to pick up our food share this weekend" and people everywhere gave us deep nods of approval and pats on the back. It was the most socially acceptable and progressive activity I participated in all year. We were also introduced to a whole new world of like-minded people, where good food consumption is like superior morale behavior; understanding of food and all its nutrients and chemical components is like understanding theology; organic farmers are like high priests; and a good chef like an archdiocese. It is a sub-culture, a marketing scheme, a code to which one subscribes, a manufactured lifestyle,  a techne, truly no different than any other throughout all of human hsitory. As such, any techne can be broken down and classified into its various parts, so let us analyze the food techne of Boulder by identifying its terminology: 

Organic

Local

Natural

Food blogs

Fresh ingredients

Omega-3

Raw Food

Healthy

Progressive

Whole

Hearty

Seasonal

I studied my new techne, and put it into practice. Food blogs, cooking, eating out, talking about food, diagnosing ailments according to what I ate, essentially making food a definitive part of my entire existence. My superior food lifestyle provided me a better position to make mistakes, criticize others, and preach a dogma. 

But here is the scariest part about this societal techne over others. It is disguised. The foodie does not believe he is subscribing to a code or marketing ploy. In fact, of all lifestyles, this appears the least commercialized, but for this reason it is the most sneaky. My own excitement with good food is one very much manifested out of a shameful Food History. My family, in our great struggle for resources, relied exclusively upon WIC when I was a child, and of course none of the above-listed terminology made it into our vocabulary. Our lack of resources and education, aka our social class, is that which prevented participation in the foodie club. Now, with my  participation in this exclusive new food club, I feel I have taken a step forward from my WIC days. 

But this must stop. Immediately. I, along with foodies everywhere, have entered a place that does not lead to better individual health and a better society, but to snobbery, leading only to division and classism.

We can argue that society drew awareness to our consumption of food in order to address the adverse health effects of obesity, etc, but now we are left with just another canon, and one which continues to leave significant populations marginalized. Can every person, with all the diversity of lifestyles and varying access to resources, reasonably be expected to adhere to this moral food code? Absolutely not.  We must criticize and deconstruct the discourse in order to understand the ways it may be hurting, rather than helping us. Food is, and always should be, sustenance, not a social symbol. 

The author's parallel between sex and food is quite pointed. Both food and sex provide varying degrees of sensuality, depending on the person/food consumed, and both can become "dangerous" when consumed or engaged in irresponsibly. But above all, food has replaced sex in its ability to outcast and marginalize unconventional use of it. Anyone who has read The Scarlet Letter understands the risk associated with marginalizing those who do not comply with a community's social norms, even if those norms are framed as the best interest of all. Boulder (and I above all) must heed this warning. We must tread carefully as we build a food philosophy that risks resulting in less, rather than more, freedom.

Bon apetit!

Diligence

Beyonce's Single Ladies might be the best video produced in a several years and the number of spoofs that have been done on it has actually gotten on my nerves. But when someone can conduct a spoof that is hysterical but also gives the original due credit, I must acknowledge it. Nice tip Alex!

Best Single Ladies Spoof So Far

Case in Point; Re: Colorado Music Scene???

Readers,

U2 has announced what may be the band's highest grossing tour ever, the 360 Tour. They will play stadiums across the world and nation, including 10 US cities....but NOT, of course, Denver, Colorado. Forget that Denver boasts not only the Pepsi Center, the Colorado Convention Center, the band's self-proclaimed favorite venue Red Rocks, and the seasonal Pavillions (all of which would be excellent candidates for large-scale, sell-out stadium shows), but it also has a reputation for successful stadium events, the 2009 DNC serving as proof of this, or that Colorado allegedly has one of the most fertile, noteworthy music scenes in the region. Despite these things, U2 will not make a stop in Denver on their all-important 360 tour. 

I bring this to attention NOT out of disappointment that I will not be seeing the U2 360 Tour; I find both stadium concert's and Bono's god complex repulsive, but to provide further evidence of my theory that Colorado is not an attractive up-and-coming music scene, as popular discourse seems to suggest. I was, as predicted, thoroughly challenged several postings back for suggesting the opposite may be true, but I am daily reminded why Colorado has and always will be a typical 4.5-5 milllion population state. Indeed, with the ski and other outdoor recreation industries we attract the attention of rich visitors and important people from far and wide, but this cannot make up for the reality of our undiverse population. Culture simply is not a natural biproduct of our industries as it tends to be in states with larger cities with more diverse influences. 

I must also make another stab at Bono for being a big liar in stating that Red Rocks is his favorite venue to play....apparently not favorite enough to include in the revenue driven 360 Tour. Not a problem, but lets be sure that we call U2 by its name: a sell out pop band that uses humanitarian efforts as a key component of its marketing strategy. 

All in all, when it comes to the Colorado music scene, I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

Way to go Boulder Start up!

Ya'll, check out the hottest new business in Boulder..... my buddy Dan is a genius and this thing is gonna fly. If you dig the hardcore, outdoor, hear-me-roar, I-want-more type of sports, and everything else in CO, you will love this. Just launched their new website too, which kicks ass.

www.swaesports.com

They launch officially tomorrow. Watch for the SWAE Sports logos around you favorite Boulder businesses. From all of me here at Anunbridledtongue, welcome SWAE Sports!!!!

2 minutes per square foot and those damn American Spirits

Yesterday I cleaned my studio for 3 hours. Count em. 1-2-3 hours for 350 square feet. That comes out to 1.94 minutes per 1 square foot. I am neither anal nor particularly clean. I am, however, extraordinarily negligent about thorough cleaning so every three months this is what I render myself doing. 2 minutes for every square foot. In addition, I was extremely hungover from agreeing, against all my better judgment, to drink entirely too much Sanza Gold the night before. And I was full of griddle potatoes and burnt coffee from the Buff. But it felt so good when I was finished I thought I should have a cigarette, but then I remember the partial lung I hacked up running Skunk Canyon the other day and opted to not. Yeah, so I have been smoking cigarettes more than normal lately. I have justified this behavior by committing to smoke American Spirits exclusively. You know, its more natural. This is generally my approach with food as well. As long as I am not eating potato chips, m&ms, and macaroni upon every eating occasion I can justify eating constantly. This, however, is not the case with cigarettes. It is still a tobacco product, and, despite the lack of tar, hairspray and several other popular cleaning agents, they are still highly addictive. Although I had a friend, who formally smoked several cigarettes daily and now smokes only one or less a day, tell me that his doctor suggested he was actually not addicted, but that he was more habitual. Rather, he smokes at certain time throughout the day simply out of habit, not addiction. Reflecting upon this, I evaluated the times when I most often smoke:

-out drinking

-after a meal where I ate too much

-walking to and fro

Upon each occasion the cigarette fulfills a specific purpose: to be social, to digest, to pass the time. That is good, because it indicates that I am not addicted, however two events this week prompted me to become concerned about my relatively moderate consumption of cigarettes. First, I received a stern address from my mother, who made me feel guilty about the clear lifestyle dichotomy I display by purchasing exclusively organic food but then smoking cigarettes. Good point. I guess I always justified that one with the natural American Spirits (btw I also smoke AS exclusively because they happen to be the only cigarettes that taste even remotely decent). Second, I went on a run that nearly killed me. Granted, the uphill to Skunk Canyon is gnarly, but damn, as I hacked and coughed all the way up and stopped twice for a break I suddenly felt like a contestant on The Biggest Loser. Truly, that was the breaking point. No more cigarettes. I hate running enough already without subjecting myself to suffocation and weakness. 

So I stopped. While I was dying on my run I had visions of angrily flushing my pack down the toilet as soon as I got home, but that didn't happen. In fact, they are still sitting atop my bookshelf as I write, but temp me no further. I think I struggle to throw them away due to the waste factor. Even if I don't smoke them I am sure someone will appreciate smoking them. So I will keep them.

Wait, who I am kidding? I want to smoke them. But I am going to limit them to the first of three of the above listed smoking occasions....only while drinking/partying. 

One rule is clear: never smoke inside. Especially in my beautifully 2 minute per square foot clean studio. Ahhh.

Wind in Boulder

Another windy day in Boulder on, of course, the first day of christening my beautiful new hybrid bicycle. I can think of only a handful of things worse than Wind in Boulder:

-Locking yourself out of your studio, not once, but twice

-Listening to 3+ dudes competitively discuss their expert knowledge of (fill in the blank)

-Murder (sometimes)

-Small children, no, undisciplined or unsupervised small children, crying in public spaces

-Communicating with Dell Tech Support, Dell Financial Services, Dell Leasing Services, Dell Warranty Sales, and Dell Customer Care interchangeably for 7+ hours

-Indian food

and

-Wedding photos on the Facebook

Speaking of my lovely bicycle, I want to name it. I feel it should be feminine, not only because I appreciate the irony of naming a men's bike something female, but also because the best description of it I can offer is bitchin. It is a hybrid of two road bikes, with a grey frame, hot pink and turquoise straight handlebars, and unbelievable speed. 

Any ideas??

Colorado Music Scene??

On a recent, very fast drive up I-70 (the WRX was very very impressive Tyler) I was, in typical fashion, ranting about the frustratingly dull concert scene in Colorado. I was immediately and forcefully reprimanded by my fellow passengers, one of whom is really "into" music and loves live music and even occasionally (okay often) engages with music via the many drugs portal (which may or may not improve his credibility, when you consider it). I was told that I am crazy, that Colorado has a GREAT music scene, that a lot is happening in the Colorado music scene right now, with a lot of excellent bands popping up all over the place. In fact, later in the day we were sitting on a lift with a single rider from Connecticut (who was beyond impressed that we were all from Colorado and furthermore that we were from, omg, BOULDER, and whose multi-colored checkered designer board jacket and dream of one day moving to Colorado to ride and chill for a year clearly served to strengthen his credibility regarding the following) cited an article he read in High Times about the "sick" up-and-coming music scene in Colorado. 

Huh.

Am I missing something? I mean, I know I'm not the most educated rock/folk/indie/pop music head but I know a few things and I feel my understanding of music, though lacking in depth, certainly boasts breadth, yet I have not managed to draw the same conclusion that everyone else seems to so easily and uniformally agree upon. Sure, we can make claims to the popular annual shows from Yonder Mountain String Band and String Cheese Incident, and of course if you are in the mood for some Big Head Todd you are sure to find a show somewhere in Colorado within the month. A number of MC's have taken a liking to Colorado and particularly Boulder's The Fox, including Atmosphere and Common. On the Pop side we certainly get the bigger names. EveryAmerican Idol star has made an appearance, the old-school-but-still-rockin-like-new-school-blow-out-shows also swing through mile high, including (in the last year for example) Aerosmith and Tom Petty. Let us not forget that Red Rocks is not only gorgeous and nationally renowned, but also the most choice venue of Rock God Bono. And of course every mountain town will have a number of mountain-like bands emerge who will impress and instill a sense of pride among locals and make a stint of mini tours in the region.

But how is this up-and coming-music scene different from any state with its own unique venues, flavorful locals, and occasional medium to larger name shows. If a low-profile band with a strong fan-base is coming to Colorado, its because they are going to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Boise as well, and Denver is, for once, a convenient pit stop. No one is leaving a tour along the coasts to make stop in the "up-and-coming" Colorado music scene. Colorado gets:

Big name, Pepsi-center worthy tours

Tours pushing a new album so hard they stop in Wichita on one side and Salt Lake City on the other

Yonder Mountain String Band

Trendy participants  of the newest Mile High Music Festival (and honestly, what the hell is the Mile High Music Festival..... they are a lot like the potlucks of music....you stuff your face with many dishes of music that are made with the intention of feeding the masses at the expense of delicate quality....not to mention they charge an arm and a leg for a ticket and an inernal organ for a beer)

Hip hop bands marketed to white kids (e.g. Blackalicious, The Roots, Rahzel, Jurasic 5)

Yonder Mountain String Band

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

The Fray

Yonder Mountain String Band

Maybe I'm just bitter because everyone I love won't come to see me. Where are you.....

Ra Ra Riot?

Bon Iver?

Santagold?

Fleet Foxes?

MIA?

Vampire Weekend?

Band of Horses?

Ach. I am unsatisfied. Feel free to challenge me. I am obviously unenlightened and really missing something here. 

Facebook + Parents = Disaster

I recently noticed in my long list of obscene Facebook requests (from the 80 + requests for friendship, all of whom in my recent onset of Facebook Fatigue Syndrome (FFS) I cannot seem to reject but also refuse to fully accept, to the Monster Birth Invitation, whatever the hell that is) that among the pile of friend requests a number of familiar surnames who I felt I should recognize but couldn't seem to identify a source. Suddenly, in a rush of irritation, confusion and slight shock I realized that these were parents. Parents of friends--parents of my old friends, parents of my strictly Facebook friends, and parents of neither. But parents no doubt. I say here parents, not adults, because there is a difference. I am discussing a generation of people whose children are old enough to have been a significantly contributing part of the Facebook Generation I.  

Scenario. You are still in high school living at home. You are hanging out in the basement of a friends house with your gang and discussing the recent shift boy band fads or the scandalous hook up between a freshman and senior that happened at XYX's party last weekend, and mom comes down to say hello.  She sits, the conversation suddenly shifts. You talk about what your plans for college are, how your father is doing, and your family's plans for Christmas. The pleasentries take place and mom leaves. Conversation returns to normal. 

Now, what if mom decided not to leave? Could you resume the previous discussion or would you be forced to continue editing? Mom's presence in your strictly adolescent social space would forever change the nature of the behavior and conversation taking place. It would feel like an change the group culture and be an infringement on the group privacy. Granted, the basement is certainly not a private space, in which mom is technically not allowed to be, but it her presence disturbs an important social phenomenon that part of the process of development. 

Parental registration on the Facebook is no different. I suddenly feel that, with the addition of many friends' parents, this has become a cross-generational environment and my social behavior in the setting must adjust accordingly. I will for, example, edit my wall posting to Alex, which might read "dude, tequila + 7 up = spilled peanuts, a guy with a pencil mustache and bandanna, and stolen library books" to say something more like "dude, last night was so fun and I am full from all those peanuts!" The wall takes on an entirely different character.

Now, certainly many of us could stand to use more discretion about our Facebook activities, particularly as a reminder that this still is a PUBLIC space and things conducted on the Facebook always have the potential of making their way back to precisely the wrong person. But, I will argue that permanent membership on the part of parents is not what the Facebook was intended for, and for a very good reason. I urge the following parties to consider the this as well: grandparents, old high school teachers, youth pastors, and employers.  

Why I am single....

I describe myself publicly as independent. It is a more attractive way to identify that above all I am extraordinarily selfish. This quality carries neither a negative nor a positive connotation for me; knowing it merely enables me to order my life in a way that I do not make life difficult for those I become close to. In other words, I have determined it is best that I navigate my way through adolescence single. Decisions, emotions, action, thoughts, preferences are all met via a process that I alone determine. This way, screw-ups and my annoying tendencies may be attributed entirely to me and more important, all mistakes can effect only me. Now as a scholar and fan of leadership, my life's work will unavoidably bear consequences that affect a large number of people (most of which I pray will be positive), which I understand and accept. My efforts to remain "independent" (and for the occasion of this blog single) exist exclusively on the level of personal. Allow me to arrange snapshot of me, so that you may better understand how I have come to this realization.

-I like to wake up early and make a lot of noise while I, in an order that is never linear and never the same, eat a large bowl of cereal, blast classical music, shower, beautify and all the while make morning routine messes.

-I do not think systematically or ahead and therefore never keep enough groceries around and often leave clean clothes in the dryer for up to a week while still pulling needed shirts and socks from it.

-I enjoy an occasional cigarette on the porch while reading a book, one of usually four that I am reading at any given time and unless I have a deadline will probably not finish since I have no qualms with reading the first 150 pages of a book and re-shelving it (to be sure, I have an impressive collection of half-read books, which allows me to participate in conversations about the book when they emerge among friends, but satisfies my issues with literary commitment). I cannot finish books the way I cannot finish an email in one sitting, a full cup of tea, or personal projects.

-I nag others about exercising when really it is just me trying to motivate myself to stay in shape.

-I love wine to the point where I appear to my family (mother specifically) to be an alcoholic.

-I am awful with finances and for this reason should never, ever combine them with another person. Thankfully, my ends manage to always meet, which I attribute to not to two parts luck and one part fullfilment of Biblical promises.

-I consider myself a decent cook (TERRIBLE baker, of course….the measurements and all the instructions….impossible!) but am only motivated to cook for company. I myself could happily live off almonds and granola for weeks.

-While in Germany I learned what it means to be alone. True aloneness means there are periods of time, perhaps days, where no one in the entire world knows where you are and may or may not be able to contact you. I adapted to and grew on this state of being perhaps a little too quickly and comfortably. Today, returned and once again embedded in my home community, I compensate for this loss of independence by offering worthy inquirers only edited, limited information regarding my whereabouts and activities. I enjoy the thrill of experiencing the world in a way that only I will understand and having my own "secret" memories of people and places. Moreover, I have learned that I am probably the only person actually interested in the daily details of my life. Knowing that I am the person most excited about my own life offers me an incredible sense of comfort and satisfaction.

-I do not fear loneliness, as so many forces encourage us to. Loneliness is thrilling, its free, and it's borderless. No one can stop the lonely single woman, because the lonely woman has no one to stop her; it’s the perfect logic. And by the way, by "stopping her" I do not mean in an explicit way... "You cannot go". It occurs, rather, subconsciously and minutely. Her choice in clothes, food, music and destinations is inadvertently influenced by him, which of course I do not judge as wrong or bad, but simply, not uniquely personal. There exists of course one danger here, and that is lack of accountability, which is an important element to the balanced life. But being single and lonely does not mean there are no friends, and friends, when chosen wisely, can be incredible advocates for our best interests.

-I hate the label Opinionated. I prefer Thinker. Tomatoes-tomatoes….I am verbally expressive about the things I think about. What's worse, I am often unaware of the effects of my verbal discharge and find later that my words stuck with someone over time. This can of course be positive or negative…. but always powerful. I try to bridle it, but only so far that it assists in meeting my ends, which is perhaps less than desirable in a relationship. Partners are not instruments but I cannot resist the urge to tune them to my ear.

-Forgetfulness. Ah yes, this one is no good. Birthdays, ingredients, personal items on buses, bills, calls to return….you name it, I've forgotten it. It doesn't get on my nerves, but other people are less eager to forgive my poor memory. It is the recipe for disaster when paired with the thoughtful and diligent partner.

-And if all the above did not convince you, I will remind you of my sorry attempts at pet ownership. Namely, the poor beta fish James Brown, who I am watching right now as he sleeps at the surface (are they supposed to do that?). He has had a less than bountiful life as my pet of three months. When I left town for a week last month I entirely forgot to find a critter-sitter to feed him, and I can count on one hand the number of times I have changed his bowl. I wake every day and marvel at the small miracle that he still lives.

I prefer living alone, I detest checking in with people, I am spontaneous only when I feel like it, and like a child, grow irritated when highly anticipated events do not go my way. My kind was not designed for partnership. And thank God I live in the world today, because now more than ever there are ways for us to live happily ever after without eternal matrimony. Travel, connectedness, and many other fulfilling experiences are possible without the help of an intimate other. The globalized world is all about catering to the wants and needs of the highly selfish, independent movers and shakers. Whether the creators of modern globalization intended for this effect to so positively impact women who resist romantic co-existence I do not know, but I am glad that there are alternatives for the above-identified personality.

A Weak Return

Like a smoker trying to quite under the influence of having recently returned from a lovely stroll outdoors or seeing a TV ad for pearly white teeth, I too have been recently motivated to start up a sort-of consistent contribution to my sad blog. If that last sentence didn't make very much sense I blame Brooke, who is currently hammering away at her latest victim: the wall, whose sorry cheap plaster somehow isn't holding up the incorrectly sized screws she recently installed to hang her replacement of a closet door (which is actually a curtain BTW). In case you have not had the pleasure of visiting our new abode, it is actually not an apartment, but rather a medium sized closet, for which we however make no complaints about because of its equally close and convenient access to both Church and Liquor Mart. For more information on visits and tours contact me or Brooke. We would be happy to guide you through the 2.76 minutetour. We don't like to take it too fast; you might miss something, like the stacked washer/dryer that is currently shaking down Brooke's medicine cabinet (also another Burgner-conducted installation) or the unreachable cobwebbed high ceilings. But don't get me wrong, it has a cozy affect. Thanks Folwer.

Anyway, as I was saying, I want to write again. I fully admit that I am taking on this task in first week of school, when the hardest task before us is reading through the repetitive disability policies that appear on every syllabus. We'll see how my relationship with my blog shapes up as the semester continues. My past history has shown me to be rather neglectful. I do not wish it to be so, but I do have priorities, as should all of you, my readership of about 12. You have jobs and papers as well, and I would imagine if you are reading my blog it is out of desperate procrastination or boredom. So you should understand when I must take a week to re/prioritize and the blog consequently falls to a lower position on the list.

Well, enough for now. Check back if you want to hear my latest brewing opinions as I indulge in a new year at one of the craziest schools in one of the craziest cities in the country. Could be interesting..... in the meantime try avoiding the east side of the UMC. It doesn't seem to be the luckiest local loitering destination on campus as of late.

Salzburg

Okay, I finally have some internet so here are some pictures from the first couple weeks of our adventure...

The pictures are: Hannah and I before our flight!, A main street in Salzburg Altstadt, A nice Day in Salzburg, Me and Hannah! Some fountain where the Sound of Music was filmed, another picture of Salzburg from teh castle on teh hill. (Salzburg is amazing. It sits in a huge open valley of sorts, surrounded entirely by the Alps. The Hill's truely are alive with the sound of music!), and Hannah, Jinger, and me for lunch. The menu? wursts and spiegl beer. mmmmmm.

My deep connection with Tom Chaplin

Thank you to an annonymous soul (he/she cannot be named for the following obvious reasons) who shuffled Anne and me into the Keane show last Thursday and helped orchestrate perhaps the most intoxicating, surreal concert experience of my life. For those of you just joing the eventful experience of listening to my life, let me provide some background. Keane, a popular band out of London, is not just a band to me; it is a sound that evokes emotion from deep within. Naw! That's ridiculous, they are actually just my favorite band, and they played Boudler last Thursday for the first time. The following are my scrambled thoughts on the show, as well as my future plans with Tom Chaplin (the sexy lead singer for whom I have an unexplainable deep obsession.)

The concert itself was not anything spactacular, but there were some solid performances from Feist and Donovan Frankenreiter (from whom? yeah, that's what I said too but to my surprise I was pleased with each of their sets. Bear in mind this WAS a 21+ show hosted by KBCO. Combine that with the offbeat, slightly obsessive fan-base of Keane and you have a truley ecclectic concert.) Despite all the great aspects I could talk about, the real story is the love connection shared by Tom and me. To begin, the unnamed person strategically placed us in the front layer with the photographers, where we were waited on thorughout and provided beverages between sets. But what's more important is the intimate proximity Tom and I were from each other. He happens to like performing close to the corwd so he spent a great deal of time crouching down to us and reaching out his sweaty, pasty arms, which I simply admired. About halfway throught the set (which thankfully was about 1 hr 45 min and I was even ready for more) Tom looked into the corwd, straight at me, and his eyes told me what I have believed to be the truth since the beginning: that we share a connection that will one day unite us. Of course this did nothing but cofirm my suspicions from all along, but the reaffirmation was comforting. The band spent time between songs chatting with the crowd, talking about life on the road (though much of this was in order to recover from their total exhaustion from the altitude, but I appreciated it nonetheless).

Now here's the hooker. After the show this same person allowed us to stay behind. Though we didn't have backstage passes, we were able to hang out until the band came back upstairs. At that point Tim (the pianist) came up and met us and signed some posters, followed by Richard (the drummer) who also signed some posters. And lastly, the love of my life came up and--to my utter dissapointment--turned and left before we could catch him! Oh it was terrible! Though we left with the perfect ring in our ears, signed posters, and a show drumstick, I couldn't subside the emptiness inside from missing out on Tom. The truth is he just didn't see me. Had he looked my way when he came up in those last minutes I would have seduced him toward me, there would have been no escaping. After all, we have a connection.

I give the show an overall 9 of 10. I refrain from 10/10 to indicate my sadness about not meeting Tom. But I've already researched the next time we'll meet: November 16 in Offenbach, and this time, he won't escape me so fast....

Today I am here to share a story with you that (hopefully) will cause you to strongly consider all your options next time you want to check out a book from the brilliant institution we call the public library. First some background: I come from a family whose mother--among other things-- "believes strongly" in the public library. We spent considerable amounts of time each week in the Longmont library, exploring our respective age-appropriate sections, beginning with the children's bins, then moving to the revered teen section with favorites from RL Stine and friends, and eventually moving up to the extremely intimidating "real" section of adults--novels, research, non-fiction, etc. She was determined to ensure our literary career rested in the hands of the free services provided by the government-instituted public library. Therefore, being the superstar daughter I am, one of my first orders of business upon moving to Boulder almost two years ago was to begin my very own library card with the Boulder Public Library. My first encounter with this establishment should have been my first warning, but was one which I ignorantly missed. The first book I checked out was--well, at this point I can't even remember--because my recollection of the setting, plot, author, and such is overriden by my memory of the foul odor which permeated a surrounding five-foot radius each time it was opened. In fact, I blame this entire story on this one detail. Here's why: This book, which I checked out for a class that I shared with Tia, was so terrible I kindly allowed her to borrow it. And that was the last time I ever saw it. I'm not upset, it was a terrible book, but this is the cause of all my problems. After three months of asking Tia where the books is (and this was admittedly not a very committed pursuit of the book) I retired the hunt and decided next time I go in I would pay for the book. Background: I have had overdue fees at the Longmont Public Library since the beginning of my book-world existence; who doesn't?! When you go in, all you have to do to check out a book is make sure those charges are under $10-- no big deal. This is the Library for goodness sake! It's a free government service.

So, here's the real story. Apparently in Boulder things are done a little differently (is anyone surprised?). On Tuesday I finally sat down to work out my finances for next year and I (gasp) applied with Ol' Sallie Mae for my first ever student loan. First step in applying: credit check. No big deal, I've never had a credit card, I have no credit history. Next step: wait, no next step, my credit check doesn't pass. And here is the reason: "The address you provided in this application does not match up with the address on record with the credit bureau." The huh? Credit bureau? Apart from being slightly irritated that Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are entitled to their own bureau, I was utterly confused. Without a credit history this industry trio should not have my information in the first place. Wrong. And secondly, if they do have my information there should be nothing bad on my report, as I've never had a payment to miss or even be late on. Wrong again. Upon further investigation, which involved three hours of phone trees, a bike ride across town, and an obnoxious number of phone calls to mom, this is what I found. Almost two years ago when I signed up with the he Boulder Library I gave them my current address, which at the time was my dorm address. Therefore, when I moved out of the dorms I no longer received that mail, some of which included notices that the Boulder Public Library had boldly turned my late fee over to (ohh this is so good, just wait...) a collection agency who, after some time of not tracking me down, turned my information over to the credit bureau, who has now listed on my credit report "One Potentially Negative Item". One potentially negative item?? This isn't potentially negative, it's hugely negative. And it's already destroyed my credit that I don't even have and inadvertently prevented me from enjoying my first loan application experience. This all comes down to one point: The Boulder Public Library is the WORST literary establishment I HAVE EVER had the displeasure of visiting. A collection agency? Seriously, we are talking about a smelly book from 1967 whose binding was already in shreds. And now I have to deal with potentially bad credit for seven years. Not to mention, the set-up of the library is poorly planned, nonsensical, and I can almost guarantee that the planner was not in the right state of mind when piecing this terrible place together. I have more: I was informed by Anne--who is also well-read and an advocate of the library and who HATES Boulder's Library--that in order to place a book on hold one must reserve it online and instead of picking it up at the library like a normal, functional library, it is mailed to you and then the library charges you for the mailing! I won't even comment on how absurd that is.

Here's the rebuttal which I know Tyler would certainly inform me of were he here to read this. I did have a bit of a warning. Yes, I received an extremely ambiguous letter last summer, which was forwarded to me from the residence halls. But one receives junk mail every day. Unique Collections Agency certainly didn't mark their envelope with anything particularly indicative of legitimacy that would prompt me to send them a check. However, that combined with the numerous phone calls from the library, which I cleverly dodge upon recognizing the dreaded number on my phone, left me with a sneaky suspicion that perhaps they were serious about getting that book back. (I still can't figure out why--it just smelled sooooo bad). But the credit bureau--honestly.

Well, all in all, the problem wasn't with my credit history (it's only a potentially negative item after all) but with the mismatch of addresses. You see, I gave Ol' Sallie Mae my permanent address, and the bureau has my dorm address, which was passed to them from the collection agency, which was passed to them the library. As it turns out, the entire process simply required a verification of that old address, which means I technically could have gotten away with NOT paying the fee....but I am a better person than the library so on Tuesday I made my very LAST visit to that place, in order to pay the $45 year old charge. I would encourage all of you to remember this story and ideally I would like you to never ever use their services again, but I suppose that is unreasonable of me to expect. Therefore, find your own silent way to protest the absurdity of their operations. I know I will, and maybe Anne too.