Orange Crush - Embryonic

One of the great pleasures of intently following a band like R.E.M. is the bootlegs; and being able to hear the rare treasures that are early versions of some of their most popular songs.

This is one of my favorites. It is an early version of Orange Crush played at the 40 Watt Club in August 1987 prior to the start of the Work Tour. Orange Crush was later included on the album Green, which was released in November 1988. I enjoy this early version because I like to see how the music progresses and it is also fun to have a different perspective of the song.

There are other R.E.M. songs that were performed live before they made it onto a album that underwent some significant changes. Some of which include, The One I Love, Fall on Me, and I Believe. I'll try to post those later on as well. In the meantime, please enjoy Orange Crush!

Pasta is Fundamental

In a recent of episode of "No Reservations," host Anthony Bourdain said something that really caught my attention. He said, "Without pasta, the meal is a sin against God and everything that is good and decent in the world." He was visiting Venice and was dining in a small family owned restaurant. Oh, how I wanted to be there.

Recently, for some unknown, reason I have been asked several times what my favorite food is. What a question! How do I answer that? Sweet or savory? Is it something I have made? Could it be something my mother has made? Something I had at a restaurant? My favorite food? I don't know why, but it struck me as such a challenging question. Should I equate it with the entire dining experience, or just base it on taste itself?

After much deliberating, I finally was confident of what my favorite food actually is. Pasta. Simply pasta cooked al dente, with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly grated parmesan reggiano cheese. For me, there is nothing better. Simple, yet delicious; and the Anthony Bourdain quote pretty much sums it up for me. Pardon me, but I have to get some water boiling...

Why is gas priced to 9/10 of a cent?

This is the question I asked myself as I drove home from work the other day. I have always noticed it, really I didn't really think about it being there, but this is the first time I was determined to find an answer. I did some searching on the Internet and found that there really are no specific answers; but several theories abound.

One theory is that it was a result of the gas wars of the 1940's so that the oil companies can make their product seem cheaper. Another theory is that way of pricing gives the consumer a false sense of accuracy in the gas prices. Many retail studies have found that when prices end in 9, consumers will spend more money, much like pricing a product at .99 cents, rather than $1.00.

Wisegeek.com has a good write up on the subject and actually gives some facts on what 9/10 of a cent is worth. http://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-gas-prices-always-end-in-910-of-a-cent.htm

As for me, I'm going to start buying my gas from Donny's Discount Gas!

Ari TV

"Wanna do Ari TV?"

Hearing those words from my two-year-old, I know he is in a rambunctious mood. And if I'm in the mood for a raucous good time, myself; I'll take him up on his offer.

I reach for either the digital camera or the camcorder and plug it into the television and let the party start.

Once Ari sees himself on the television, something in him clicks and he becomes a wild little man, or as I like to call him, fearless D. Nothing gets him going like that. It really is something to see.

Jumping off the couch, pouncing the dog (even the camera man on occasion), and throwing himself around with reckless abandon are part of the norm during Ari TV; with me taking snapshots the whole time.

This is one of my favorite shots during an Ari TV session. Looking at this mid-flight jump always brings a smile to my face.

Best of the season

I have been experiencing this Christmas season from a different perspective. With Ari turning three in January, this is the first year he has shown real joy and excitement regarding Christmas. He was thrilled to see presents under the tree, he points out Christmas lights as we are driving down the street, and he wants to listen to Christmas music. I am starting to see the magic of Christmas in his innocence, and it has brought back so many memories of Christmases gone by.
I have also been intrigued by A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens this year. Not that I am a Scrooge (I think of myself as more of a Bob Cratchit type or Scrooge's nephew Fred). I think I have been so captivated by this story because the resurfacing memories of Christmas past, coupled with these new feelings of Christmas present, have been quite sentimental and almost spiritual for me. Also, the thoughts of all the Christmas's yet to come as Ari and Emilie grow, fills me with a sense of wonder and excitement all my own.
Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!

Comfort food

I have been under the weather the past couple of days with a pesky stomach bug. I didn't really eat anything during my battle, but when I was finally ready to test the waters, I couldn't help but pull a box of ditalini out of the cabinet and dump it in some boiling water.

I threw in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little parmesan cheese, and I had a meal fit for a king. It was just what I needed and my stomach was not a bit upset after eating. The ditalini went so well that night, I whipped up some alphabet soup the next day.

Pizza anyone?

Last Friday we took on an ambitious endeavor. We decided to do brick oven pizza's and let each person choose his or her own toppings for their own pizza. It was quite a feat ans we ended up with a lot of pizza left over, but it sure was fun. As you can see, we had eight different kinds of pizza, the likes of which included:

Mozzarella and provolone
Sausage and pepperoni
Pepperoni and pepperocini peppers
Sausage, mushrooms, and black olives
Sausage, mushrooms, olives, and anchovies
Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, olives, and anchovies
Mozzarella, provolone, Gouda, and blue cheese
Sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, and bacon

It was a wonderful evening and everyone got to take some left over pizza home to enjoy. Just another Friday night at our house. What a blast! Food, family and fun...what more can you ask for?

Gone is the Butterfly

I've been missing the warm weather quite a bit lately, so I thought I would post a couple of summery outdoor photos to cheer me up.


I spent more time outdoors this summer than I have in a long time. Afternoons at the playground with the kids, lunches in the park, evening bike rides; it was all so reenergizing.



Here's to summer and to a wonderful season in which I redisovered my love for the outdoors. I will try to enjoy the winter and appreciate it for what it has to offer; but I will still be looking forward to spring. Boy, it's way too early to be tired of this cold weather, isn't it?

Ceiling Fan Photos

Sometimes I get the strange urge to take pictures of my ceiling fans. The first one is the ceiling fan in my living room. The other two are of the ceiling fan in my son Ari's room. You may notice the stars on some of the blades on Ari's fan. The star bladed fan blades have fan blades with stars, but the plain bladed fan blades have none upon thars. His room is decorated in a Dr. Seuss theme, and his ceiling fan is my tribute to the Sneetches (my personal favorite).

Welcome...

Here I am. Exploring a new realm I did not have an interest in a few months ago. I have been inspired by a few blogs; mainly Ditalini Press (where I am a contributor) and K. Grace Bears, to create my own place on the Internet. I don't know what lies in store for this space, but I have a few ideas. I enjoy taking pictures, and I have some sitting on my computer that I would like to share. It will be a work in progress, and I hope to devote enough time to make this something I can be proud of. Thanks for visiting and stay tuned...