It's Mother's Day!

We all have one.  Everybody everywhere has one.  It is time to celebrate our mothers.  They are the people who carried our growing selves for nine months in the womb only to have us bust out of them on our birthdays.  Give them some credit.  We made them sick in the mornings and stretched out their bellies and most likely had them waddle around all for us.  They fed us when we were young and they continue to feed us into adulthood.  They love us unconditionally and will always love us no matter what we do.  It's a beautiful thing when you think about it.  This one person in your life will be there for you to count on, to cry on their shoulder, to make them laugh, to have left overs sent home with you after a home cooked meal (I'm looking at you mom).  These extraordinary women have done so much for us, and today is the day that we praise them.  Here's to all you mothers out there!  We love you and thanks for being there for us!

Love ya, Mom!

From Android to iOS

I made the jump.  I had and iPhone 3g when the device first came out.  I saw the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4, and the iPhone 4S go by.  I was using an android device called the HTC Inspire 4G.  I really loved the thing.  It had much more options to customize the interface with widgets and many home screens.  The software was nice with an active lock screen that I had never experience before with my iPhone 3G.  However, once my contract came due a few months ago, I took a look around the smartphone market and weighed my options.  Yes, everyone has an iPhone.  That is exactly what made me look at it closer.  If a lot of people are using this device what is making them stick with it? 

The Android I had was getting on my nerves.  Constant freezing and apps closing was driving me crazy.  I took a closer look at the iPhone 5.  It seemed to have all the features I wanted plus the processor and battery life was much better than what I currently had.  I think part of the problem I had with Android was the fact that everything was customizable.  There was almost too much!  I would find myself rearranging things and tweaking things here and there and wasting more time on that than actually using the device.  I have a MacBook so the fact that the iPhone would sync perfectly with it was another selling point.  I eventually got the iPhone 5 and I love it.  I love the simplicity it offers and the ease of use and compatibility with my computer.  I'm not saying one is better than the other, but at this point I love the iPhone a lot more than I did my Android.  Both are good options, but some things are not for everybody.

She & Him Volume 3

Well, they did it again.  The incredible duo of Zooey Deschanel and M Ward have made another great album.  This album has all the makings of a Summer soundtrack.  Almost all of the songs have a very nice upbeat feel and many discuss love.  The song "Together" has a throwback to what sounds very much like The Carpenters.  Out of the whole album their single "Never Wanted Your Love" stands out.  It has a string arrangement and great harmonies done by the two.  She & Him have not disappointed since their first album, "She & Him Volume 1. 

Each track on this album has a very unique style all it's own.  That is why She & Him albums can be so good over and over again.  With Zooey writing the majority of the music, we get a glimpse into her mind on the topic of love. 

Below if you click on the image it will take you to the album on Spotify which will stream the album for free if you are signed up for the service and if you don't have Spotify, here is the link to the album on iTunes.

Hemlock Grove (Not Too Major Spoilers)

Hemlock Grove is the new Netflix exclusive series.  They released the whole season all at once so viewers would not have to wait every week for new episodes.  I think this idea is great and should continue to be done.  It gives people the opportunity to keep going and, if they want to, finish the whole series in one sitting.

The premise of this show is about killings that have been happening around the town of Hemlock Grove.  They appear to be mutilations by some crazed animal.  No one knows for sure what is happening.  An expert shows up, and they are trying to help solve the case.  The idea of werewolves are thrown around into the possible killings.  The thought of these mythical creatures are only shared by some residents.

Throughout the investigations, other mysterious things start to pop up.  A unexplained pregnancy, blood lust from certain characters, and thought control.  This show really has everything if you are into anything supernatural.

I highly recommend this show.  I loved it and the ending is great.  The whole series of 13 episodes is available on Netflix and each episode's length is either an hour or a little less.

Keep and eye out for Hemlock Grove.

It's Electric

Pre Scottrade Center:

I can already feel it. The energy is rising. The Blues game 5 is tonight and I will be in attendance. We lost Monday night to the Kings. That means the series is tied 2-2. It's a brand new series that the Blues need to take advantage of. Their efforts thus far have been noble but they need to step it up even more. I will be there tonight cheering them on and hopefully boosting their confidence and gameplay. I will continue writing once I am in the arena. 

In the fired up arena:

The people are getting ready to go. The downside. No rally towels. Instead we get cheap inflatable tubes known as thunder-sticks. These things will be an annoyance throughout the game. They will also turn into weapons after the game.  I'm super excited and ready to go!

LET'S GO BLUES!

Use The Stairs!

I cannot tell you how many times I see people at SCC using the elevators in buildings. These people are not elderly or in a wheel chair. They are middle aged women and young women. It really bothers me to see this. I would say 10% of the time the elevators are used the way they should be. Maybe someone has a broken leg or someone is physically unable to walk under their own power. The other 90% of the time it is just people who, to me, seem like they are too lazy to use the stairs. It may be a little bold for me to say lazy. But come on. If you are a little overweight maybe the stairs are not such a bad idea. That goes triple for the girls I see who appear to be younger than me. Quit using the elevator and walk up the one flight of stairs! That may be the only exercise they get! I don't rant much but it's crazy that teenagers are too lazy to walk up a flight of steps to get to the SECOND floor.

Blues Fever Continues!

I have the greatest news of the month so far.  I have the amazing opportunity to go to game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals!  I have never been to a playoff hockey game before, and I am really excited about going.  Unfortunately the Blues lost last night to the Kings 0-1.  It's not all bad though because now there will be a game 5.  If the Blues win Monday then Wednesday could be the day that they win the quarterfinal and I would be there in person to witness it!  My Blues fever has been hitting an all time high now.

One of the big reasons I'm excited to go is because A. I've never been to a playoff game and B. I get a sweet rally towel!  I know I know, it sounds pretty lame that I would be excited for a towel but hey, it's the little things in life, right? 

I am very superstitious when it comes to sports so I cannot, with any form of comfort, make any predictions or speculation about the future games.  Obviously I would love it if the Blues could make it all the way and take home the ultimate prize of the Stanley Cup.  We've never won it before so I think it's about time that big chalice comes to St. Louis. 

Let's Go Blues!

Songza, A New Way To Discover Music

I am a very big music buff.  I love listening to music and especially love discovering new artists, songs, and even genres.  There is a website where that can happen very frequently.  Songza is a website where you can discover music based on your mood at a certain time of day.  It is pretty easy.  It gives you 5 moods for your current time of day like "Early Morning Saturday".  They stem from "Waking up happy" to "Brand new music". 

This is not the only way to discover music on the sight, however.  You can search for different genres, different moods, various activities, and decades specifically.  This service is not only available on a desktop browser but they have apps in the Apple App Store and the Android Market.  I really enjoy this app.  I use it every night when I go to bed because of the awesome bedtime playlists they have.  My life can finally have a soundtrack to all the moods I feel throughout the day.  If you are a music buff who loves to have music as a daily part of life, I highly suggest you check out Songza.

  

My Best Friend Of Over 13 Years

Ever since I started school I had friends.  These friends were the kind that you would talk to in school but never really see outside of class other than if they invited you to a birthday party at Sk8 Galaxy.  It was that way until 5th grade.  This new kid with gelled hair came into town.  He was very quiet and shy.  It seemed he had only made one friend.  To my unbeknownst luck, I was mutual friends with the new kids pal.

To make a very long story short, I became friends with this new kid, Cullen was his name.  We would laugh through classes and get in trouble for being immature and chuckling through "Romeo and Juliet".  The teacher would make us (Cullen and I) read aloud, "Too swift arrives as tardy ass too slow?".  Really? You don't think two 13 year olds are going to laugh at that?

Anyway, through the years Cullen and I have continued to be friends.  We now live together with our other best friend Tom who I met in high school.  He puts up with our shenanigans and I'm sure he silently rolls his eyes.  I will have to watch him more closely.

This post is for you Cullen!  Keep being awesome, you manly womanizer you!

The manliest man I know.

Go Outside!

We all struggle to stay fit.  Let's be honest.  We'd rather be watching Netflix and chomping on a deep dish pizza than lifting weights or running on a treadmill.  It does not help that Missouri has been holding onto Winter for as long as it can.  We are finally hitting Spring in May!  I've been suffering from the "Winter Blues" so to speak.  Lack of sun and always staying inside can bring anybody's mood down.  As of late I've been journeying to Creve Coeur Lake.  It has a wonderful trail that circles the entire body of water.  I highly recommend going if you are wanting to exercise and look at some beautiful scenery.  There are a lot of other people there too.  They stay out of your way and you can people watch while you exercise!  It doesn't get much better than that.  Go outside! Get healthy!

View from the trail at Creve Coeur Lake

The Blues are on the road to the Stanley Cup...

St. Louis is known to be a very big sports city.  We have the Cardinals and the Rams who have both won The World Series and the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  Then we have our beloved Blues.  They were formed in 1967.  Since then they have, sadly, never won a Stanley Cup.  Throughout this current season they have had their ups and downs with various injuries and certain players losing their "mojo".  However, they have persevered, gotten healthy, and restored their "groove".

Tuesday's game showed this city and everyone else around the league that the Blues are a team to contend with.  They came out strong through the 60 minutes of regulation play.  We managed to score one goal on L.A.'s Jonathan Quick only to have that lead shattered away by Justin Williams, L.A. right winger.  We stuck to our guns in the overtime period, although L.A. seemed to be gaining more momentum.  After a costly mistake by the Kings' goaltender the Blues won the game.

Through our determination and excellent play, the Blues stand a chance to be one of the leading contenders in this years race for the cup.

Go Blues!

Blues win! 4-30-13