I had every intention of writing a detailed, thoughtfully considered piece on each of my favorite albums from 2007. With the first month of 2008 just about over, though, I have yet to write a single word, so it's time to face the facts: it's not going to happen. Rather than wait and post my thoughts in the middle of the year, I'll just go ahead with a short and simple list. With no further ado:
01 Armchair Apocrypha Andrew Bird
02 Leaves in the River Sea Wolf
03 Night Falls Over Kortedala Jens Lekman
04 Sound of Silver LCD Soundsystem
05 The Reminder Feist
06 The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter Josh Ritter
Distance: approx. 13 miles Time: 2:14:41 Where: Rose Bowl/Arroyo Seco
It was cold when we started but not unbearably so. I expected worse, but it wasn't too bad and by the time I finished it was quite pleasant. We were able to squeeze our run in during a respite from the rain this weekend and it made for some gorgeous scenery. At Devil's Gate Dam fog hovered over the trees, and up the trails past JPL the arroyo gushed with water. There was also snow up on the mountains but we never made it that high.
The run went well but I ran was running out of gas near the end. When I turned around with Rachel just past the archery park on the southside I thought I could keep going. I felt great. As soon as we left FJ and Andy behind, though, I started to feel it. Still 13 miles at 2:14 (including a long break after mile 9 at Lot K for a quick change) ain't too shabby.
Unfortunately I haven't run since. I'm feeling a little bit under the weather but I think I'll be OK by Sunday. I'm keeping expectations low, but I'd love to beat my time from last year of 1:43. If I can beat my PR of 1:41 I'd be ecstatic.
I don't think they should bother including a picture if it's not both the bride and groom. It's not the way a marriage should start. It isn't just the bride getting married--they both are. Besides, if you're going to be in the New York Times you both should be seen. Ms. Patterson is quite fetching but as a reader, I want to see what Mr. Brown looks like. Let's face it, part of the fun is seeing if they make for a lovely couple. Shallow but true. There's nothing about Mr. Brown's occupation that precludes him from being photographed. If he was a spy I would understand.
So, add solitary photographs to my list of pet peeves with regards to wedding announcements.
Time: 1:45 Where: Arroyo Seco (to Highland Park and back) and one lap around the Rose Bowl
Quite a good run. I ran with FJ, Katie and Rachel and we made good time. I was a little sleep-deprived but it still felt good to get a long run in. I broke in a new pair of shoes, which should be ready to go for the half. I thought the course was 12 miles, but according to Gmap it's approximately 11.5 miles. Bummer. I was hoping I really did run a fast 12 miler.
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
I've already written about why I love LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" so much, so let's just say that my feelings for it have not changed. Maybe it speaks to my age but like all good songs "All My Friends" affects me profoundly. It is an anthem for all aging hipsters. Furthermore, dance and electronic music isn't where you would normally go to find genuine feeling, but "All My Friends" not only makes you want to dance, it also makes you feel something true.
Over the weekend, the new Pinkberry around the corner from my apartment opened for business. Saturday evening they even had spotlights in front announcing the news. There were no lines around the block but they seemed to be drawing steady business. I doubt I'll be a regular--not a big Pinkberry fan--but I might stop by once in a while if the craving strikes.
Distance: 9 miles Time: 1:25:01 Where: Rose Bowl/Arroyo Seco
A very good run today. It was just me and FJ, and I think FJ was holding back a little, but it felt good. I still had a little something when I finished. FJ went another five miles. I would have gone a little farther but five more miles is more than I think I should be doing at this moment. I'm on track for my half marathon training. I'll try to do 11 or 12 miles next weekend. I'm not sure what distance I'll do the weekend before Surf City--10 or 12--but I'm just hoping that I get in shape for it.
As for my knee, it still doesn't feel 100%. It might have something to do with not running for a while, but they feel a little weak. I might do more lower body workouts at the gym to strengthen my legs. Things are looking good, though.
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
A song steeped in grief shouldn't be something you would play over and over again, but that's exactly what I did this year with Elvis Perkins's "While You Were Sleeping." A Song of the Week selection earlier in the year, "While You Were Sleeping" became a much-played song because of its cathartic power. It is a heartbreaking song, especially when you consider the losses Perkins suffered that very much informs the song. Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins, who died from AIDS complications, and Berry Berenson, a photographer who died on one of the 9/11 planes.
Essentially a lullaby, "While You Were Sleeping's" impressionist lyrics don't explicitly address the deaths of Perkins's father and mother, but only someone who has endured such grief can possibly write a song so sad and heartwrenching yet also make it sound so sweet and redemptive:
While you were sleeping You tossed, you turned You rolled your eyes while the world burned The heavens fell, the earth quaked I thought you must be but you weren't awake
In the song, the idea of sleep is used as a comforting notion, the possibility that it was all a dream and that in sleep time somehow stops. As the song develops, though, and as the music rises, sleep begins to represent what is missed in life--the blink-and-you'll-miss nature of existence. I guess I listened to this song a lot this year because it is ultimately a reassuring song. I have not endured the kind of loss Perkins has experienced, but the song--and the rest of the album--isn't just for them. "While You Were Sleeping" suggests that we are resilient beings. The grief and sorrow won't completely go away, but somehow we find a way of muddling through. In Perkins's case, his art must have been a great source of comfort.
A new year and we're back picking our favorite announcements from the New York Times. The holidays was a slow period and this week is still slow. Our first choice for 2008:
Theirs is a meet-cute. Matched by a friend, Ms. Pitta had initially sent her resume to Mr. Adelson when searching for a job. A little misunderstanding ensued, but it all works out in the end when Mr. Adelson arrives at her apartment bearing black gloves bought from Rome.
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
The Shins might have borrowed the opening of "Turn On Me" from "Then He Kissed Me," but the rest is classic Shins: perky tune backing up vague, muddled lyrics. The song doesn't lack for a hook. From the sweet, wistful chorus with its cute "Y-O-U" spellout to its driving guitarwork, "Turn On Me" has hooks to spare. But this isn't just any Shins song. It is one of their best--right up there with "New Slang" vying for perfection. The song's sunny sound belies the bitterness of the lyrics, which has become a signature of the Shins' work. Their songs--light, airy and effervescent--often bravely mask stories of heartbreak and regret. "Turn On Me" can serve as an anthem for the exasperated. Such a great song. Unfortunately the video is not so great.
