I spent the majority of this week at work, listening to Dubstep.

Someone please tell me how this happened?

I've been thinking of the change in music lately.  And how the subtle, tamed sounds of techno and other less-mainstream genres have melded their way in.  I've heard a few friends mentioning bands and genres they love (such as Dubstep) for the past almost two years.  And admittedly, I wasn't part of that cool crowd.  But, once it got tamed and mixed into some of the music I'm already a fan of... I find myself wanting more and more.  And likely the gateway, suddenly I'm into all sorts of music I would have switched the station on just months ago.

I'm sure there's a marketing lesson in here.  But I don't want it.

Oh no. 

I've been just like all the rest.  Looking forward to, and even counting down the days to the long (LONG) awaited new Mumford album.  But with one day out, the first lyrics went viral and a flashback hit me, followed by an anxious twitch. Let the Mumford lyrics repeat cycle begin - circling through Facebook status after status after status.  Everyone proving that they do indeed know who Mumford & Sons are.  They bought the new album. 

Brace yourselves. 

I think even Mumford would tell you to stop.  Read a book.  Quote something longer than 3:51.  Something that requires you to be literate.  Something that contributes to humanity.  We have radios to listen to lyrics. ;) 


Nonetheless, here we go..... you and I, and Tumblr.
(But don't worry, I won't go there.)


**KEEP IT OFF FACEBOOK,  THAT'S WHAT BLOGS ARE FOR**

Let the Mumford & Sons Babel praises begin. 
It's that good.  Again. 

I'm not really a bird cage person. 

I think they're pretty.  I like that everyone likes them.  In fact, at one point I guess I did want to hang one in my bathroom as a sort of shelf/storage type thing for towels.  But... besides that, I haven't gone crazy about them.  And I think I just realized why:  I've had birds.  We've had dozens of birds in our home over the years.  And guess what bird cages are covered in?  Hint: continue the alliteration.  Oh yes. Crap.

I think I've cleaned too many bird cages to really enjoy them to the full aesthetic whimsical delight others do.  They are pretty.  Birds are pretty.  But they are work too in my mind.  And I don't mind work, so don't get me wrong.  Just a sudden light-switch moment.  I saw this lovely photo and thought
"Dang, you'd have to clean that every day with that many birds."  But it sure is pretty.  :) I also tend to see photos of beautiful birds, and imagine the sort of squawk they'll make based on what family they appear to be related to.  I blame my father for that, if there is something to blame.  My dad's probably had more birds than pairs of shoes.  Just this past year a couple of a my close friends heard a noise coming from his den and said in surprise "You have a bird?"  Yes, we have two.  I'm not sure my dad has settled on names for these ones, or if he ever will.  We spent a good hour brainstorming recently, he and I.  I'm a fan of Willow and Lewis.  Those don't work for him. 

Pet names we've had in our home:
Precious
Wicket
Chewy
Reign
Rocky
Runt
Skipper
Sounder
Frodo
Gandolf
Arsenio
Pipen
Pinkie
Tex

(See any common themes?  We're trying to complete the cast of LOTR and Star Wars.)
Which includes: dogs, birds (the three types of love birds, micahs, parakeets, parotlets, etc.), turtles, hamsters, frogs, every kind of fish, just not cats.

For those of you who've seen Garden State, you know the seen where they bury "Jelly"?  I laugh ridiculously and uncomfortably hard, "It's not that we're bad pet owners, it's just that we've had a lot of them."  And as she cries as she barries him... yep.  I still remember crying in my bed when our first dog disappeared.  I was only three or four, but I can still feel that deep hurt that I had.  Kim and Kris laugh about it now, because really I hadn't even known the dog for that long, I was a baby! But it was my first sense of losing something/ someone I loved.  And when you think about it, I probably spent more time with that dog than with my sisters even.  They went to school, and he and I ran around naked in the back yard.  So... there you have it.  Bonding. ;)

I think my most common question for my children will be "Why?"   Why do you like that?  Why do you want that?  I can only imagine it will be hard for me to watch my children fall into trends and chase after fashions.  Unless, they can give me a good answer to Why.

If you can't answer why, I think there's a good chance you aren't doing something because it's meaningful or impacting or making you become more of who you are... but because it's popular and common.  This thought process has me wondering though:

How much do our trends say about our generation? Do they reflect a value system?  Maybe subtle, or not... I don't have an answer.  I just started processing the question.  Why are tattoos a trend?  Maybe it's just because it's cool, but maybe if we asked enough people "Why?" we might actually discover a theme of values... something our generation has ingrained in our fibre that makes us drawn to them, to their honesty, their permanency, their commitment.  Maybe? 

What other trends do we have - and do you think they suggest certain values or character traits? Good or bad. 

I was going to post this on my Tumblr, but.... well, you know.

Last night Kristin, Esther and I enjoyed a perfect "white trash dinner" complete with mac n' cheese with hot dogs, Velveeta appetizers, my first canned beer, and a kind of wine I can't recall.  I received a strike for bringing my dessert in jars.  But I still contest: mason jars were hick before rockabilly suddenly became cool. :/  (Besides, it was just WAY more convenient for carting them on the bus with me to work.)  It started as a 'non-trendy party,' but quickly took a turn for the trailer.  Love you ladies. :)

I did get embarrassed standing in line at the organic-focused grocery store... with my little cart of milk, hot dogs and PBR.  I'm pretty sure I saw some teenagers making fun of me.