Random thoughts

- As I've stated before, I wish there was more time in the day. I wish I had more time with Alene. I wish I was better at making time. The "experts" say, "there is always time, you just need to be better at making it". While I understand and for the most part agree, I still don't feel like I have much time for Alene, or myself. I guess one could consider me coaching a football team as "me" time, but I really don't. I mean, I enjoy it a lot, but it's also very hard work and also very tough at times trying to run a practice when you've got a group of 14 year olds that still act like 8 year olds at times. It can be very stressful when trying to prepare the kids to play their up-coming opponent. So in a way, yes it is "me" time because it's something I love, but at the same time, I would love to be able to read, work on some projects like a web page, or even dabble in some short film making.

- Speaking of film making, I was helping Russ frame part of his basement last week. He is building a movie set in his actual basement. It's going to be pretty cool. He's very determined to get his film made and it inspires me. Like I've said before, I really have an interest in making a film, but I don't feel like creativity comes easy to me. That is something I would want time for, to really "think" about what I'd want to do and how to do it. For the creative types, this stuff just comes to them like it's a quick thought or something. It doesn't happen like that for me.

- Here is the list of music I've been listening to:
White Stripes (all albums) - Great rock and roll music and like Weezer, this is a band I wish I had taken the time to listen to when I first heard of them. I'm almost pissed that someone hadn't introduced me to them earlier. They just seem like great Rock music.

The Strokes - Could pretty much say the same thing as I did about the White Stripes. Great music, especially love the "whatever happened?" song. I don't know why, but it's not like I've ever had a girl break up with me, but the feeling in that song really gets to me. I can't imagine what that would feel like.

Mellowdrone - GREAT MUSIC!! I wish more people would give them a try. They have some great songs. Fashionably uninvited is great. F*ck it man is great. Their cover of an R&B song (by Faith Evans) "again" is great. They also covered the BoyzIIMen song "it's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday", which I actually think that BoyzIIMen originally covered from another group??

Eagles of Death Metal - Going to see them in concert (again) this Monday with my brother in-law Jere, and Alene. I'm really looking forward to this show. They are such great ambassadors of Rock n Roll.

Beach Boys - I guess I can't blame people when I say Beach Boys and all people think of are the bubble-gum surf/party songs they sang in the early 60's. Those are great and all because they are part of a time when people needed that, however, I really am into their deeper songs like Heros and Villians, Surfs Up (which isn't about surfing at all and is NOT an "uppity" song), Sloop John B, God only knows, Vegetables, Good Vibrations, Do it again, and Wouldn't it be nice (Ok, this is a bit poppy, but still a great song).

Gorillaz - I stated in a form on Cougarboard, that their Demon Days album will someday be in the top 20 of best all-time albums. It's great.

Modest Mouse - Never get tired of the vast collection of songs I have from them (probably the most songs by any artist on my playlist)

The Killers - Their new Sams Town album is great from beginning to end. Alene and I saw them in concert at Saltair and it was a great show. It would have been better had there been less fighting/pushing up front. Those crowd rushers ruin just about every concert. I'm pissed because these dudes will just start pushing their way up front knocking people over, including girls. They don't give a shit and that is what pisses me off most of all. If any one of them had came within a foot of knocking Alene over, I would have lost it on that one dude. I have not been in a fight in a long time and I feel like I have some pent-up anger over those years that will one day be let out on someone. That kind of person would be a perfect candidate.

I've also been listening variously to: Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Format, The Vines, Weezer, an Oldies playlist I have, The Who (they're coming to SLC soon, but I can't afford their price).

- Alene and I went and saw the movie "Marie Antoinette", which was directed by Sofia Coppola. I thought it was very-well done and Alene read the book it was based on, which she said they followed very closely. Alene and I watched a documentary on her life (actually, half of the documentary) and from what I remembered of the documentary, they followed very closely in the movie as well.

One thing that upsets me is how all through out our lives growing up, we are taught about how bad she was and how she said that infamous "let them eat cake" thing. Now, we don't know for sure if she did say it, but Historians claim she didn't say that. Looking at the way she was raised and how she was almost a prisoner inside of Versaills, I don't blame her for spending money, which she had no idea what budget she had, what was happening outside of the palace, etc. Anyway, it was a well-made movie.

- I just reached my first $10k in my 401k. Over the past two years I've really been involved in my 401k and the investment options I have. I used to never pay attention to what was happening in it, which likely did not make much over that amount of time. I started contributing to my 401k in 2003, so to get $10k in about 4 years isn't too bad I guess. I mean, it's not like I could retire tomorrow, but it's a start I guess :). I'm mostly happy because I've never been able to save money in my life ever, so it feels good to be able to do this. It's nice that they pull it out of your check and don't make you make that decision every month to put it in the account, or keep it to spend it. Here's to many more years of saving toward me and Alene's retirement :-)

- I love Alene. Despite how I know she thinks I focus on her weaknesses, I don't. I love who she is, who she was, and who she can be (think of me as a Catholic and she is my trinity). I've never really tried to "figure out" women, as you hear most men saying they try to do. I guess I embrace the fact that they're different than me, and do my best to co-exist. I don't focus on the differences, just on trying to get along. I know we're made different, I understand that. I wish it was easier at times to understand women, or to explain to women that I do infact understand, but despite any bad times/feelings, I still love my wife to the death and I know she loves me.