http://www.dyslexicheart.com Neurotic rambling from a suburban basement Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:11:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I think just about everybody can agree that 2008 was a steaming turd of a year. The economy crumbled, job security became shaky and retirement savings dwindled. On top of these universal lowlights, it seems like just about everyone I know was dealing with longtime relationships dissolving, family members dying ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2009/01/04/farewell-2008/ Between Nov. 15 and Dec. 31 each year, all bloggers are required by law to write some sort of list wrapping up the year. Out of fear of having by blog license revoked, I give you my favorite albums of 2008. 10. Weezer: Weezer (The Red Album)   9. The Foxboro Hot Tubs: ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/23/obligatory-end-of-year-best-of-list-part-i/ Following a month-long buildup on Facebook, I met up with seven high school friends at a suburban sports bar last night. Throughout the day leading up to the get-together, I was excited, nervous and anxious to see how the event would play out. Would it be awkward? Would we run ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/23/reunited-and-it-feels-so-good/ Our community newspaper, Roseville Review, is typically pretty dull. It includes the usual variety of local business profiles, high school sports reports and city council updates. However, buried deep within many issues is some of the most entertaining content you'll ever read. Whoever writes the police reports for some of the ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/22/best-writer-in-the-twin-cities/ I made it through Band on the Run and just cannot bring myself to continue my latest project. I guess I achieved my goal of determining the precise point when Paul McCartney's career became an embarrassment. It was April 1970, when he released his first solo album. Sure, he had ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/18/i-quit/ It's the middle of November in Minneapolis. We are entering the time of year when I ask myself and anyone who will listen why the fuck we live in this frozen wasteland. Fortunately, several nights each year, I am reminded. Tonight was such a night. I live here because I got ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/15/why-do-i-live-here/ I may have to abandon my Paul McCartney project. I've listened to McCartney, Ram and part of Wild Life. Three albums in, and I'm trying to decide whether pills would be easier than taking a nap in the garage with the Buick idling. For every great song, there are at ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/10/why-do-i-punish-myself/ I'm on a mission to figure out the precise point at which Paul McCartney's music started to suck. In the coming weeks, I'll be working my way through his post-Beatles catalog with the goal of determining the album that was the turning point between mostly great and completely embarrassing. I ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/09/a-new-mission/ A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail from my high school alumni office requesting permission to give my contact information to a classmate. This triggered a chain of events that has pushed me into full-on reminiscing mode like you wouldn't believe. Suddenly, for the first time in 15+ years, ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/01/who-knew-i-was-so-angsty/ I give you the video for the song that gave me the title for this blog, featuring some fine dancing by Jeremy Piven (with way less hair than he has 15 years later).     http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/11/01/do-i-love-you-do-i-hate-you/ Last night, Michele and I got into a heated debate over the merits of candy corn. I proclaimed it one of the lowest forms of candy. Michele didn't really disagree but defended it by insisting it can be mixed with peanuts and M&Ms to form a distant cousin of trail ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/10/25/candy-corn-sucks/ This has happened before. I start a blog, write for two weeks and then get bored. Fuck it. I'm just not a good blogger. I may still use this space when I feel the need to babble, but for now I can be found on Twitter. http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/09/05/worst-blogger-ever/ Yesterday morning, we were treated to a rare viewing of "Lost in Your Eyes" on VH1 Classic. Michele suggested "Lost in Your Eyes" is Debbie Gibson's best song. Although it is her most popular, I wasn't so quick to accept this obvious choice. Instead, I retreated to my lab basement ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/06/22/shell-always-be-debbie-to-me/ I'm usually pretty good at quickly figuring out people. When meeting a new coworker, I can tell whether he will be decent to work with, unable to play well with others or simply annoying almost immediately. My first impression is nearly always on target. Apparently this talent doesn't translate to ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/06/02/first-impressions/ The only time I ever visit the bank is when I'm taking out a large sum of money before a vacation. Today was such a day. I don't like the bank. Whenever I'm standing in line or waiting at the counter while the cashier helps me, I'm convinced security is ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/05/22/im-a-mess/ In January, our beloved companion of more than 10 years, Abby the boxer, decided she couldn't deal with another Minnesota winter and checked out. Four months later, I still think about her and miss her every day. In the days and weeks following Abby's demise, Michele and I did a ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/05/19/weve-only-just-begun/ This afternoon, I heard someone say, "Rock on, crouton." It remained the stupidest thing I heard today for all of 10 seconds, when the same person responded to a comment about killing two birds with one stone by saying, "Or we could kill two stones with one bird." In the ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/05/06/people-say-the-dumbest-thing/ With a rather nice, spring weekend finally upon us, my mind has become increasingly preoccupied with thoughts of summer vacations. As luck would have it, we are planning three getaways in the next three months. That's a pretty good ratio. In a few weeks, we will make our triumphant return to ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/05/04/planes-trains-and-automobiles/ I'm a fan of all-you-can-eat restaurants. Stuffing one's gut with endless amounts of food is as American as fake boobs, bottled water and SUVs. When I was a kid, trips to Shakey's Pizza for slice after slice of pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon were a special treat. As an adult, ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/04/28/bakers-square/ When I was a Prince fanboy in the mid-'90s, I sometimes amused myself by crank calling 800-NEW-FUNK, the Paisley Park phone line for ordering CDs, t-shirts and a wide variety of products prominently adorned with the symbol he was then using as his name. Not content to keep this amusing ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/04/27/my-finest-hour/ I once considered myself a writer. When asked what I did for a living, I had a nice, tidy response: "I am a writer." Short, straightforward and simple. After a few years, my job changed. I still wrote, but my title became magazine editor. I liked this title. I felt ... http://www.dyslexicheart.com/2008/04/26/and-so-it-begins/