I've been hearing friends telling me that they’re going to get hitched. My best friend, Runa being one of them. It's been a very cool experience watching these people in relationships and now finally seeing them getting married. Seeing the setbacks are humbling because it's never that easy making up your mind to settle down; but seeing them downright happy is a great feeling.

It's exciting but at the same time, a little sad. Everyone's growing up, including me. It's weird. You dream about it as a kid, living it up with some Prince Charming for the rest of your life. It's harder than it looks, and when you reach that point you think, "Wait, what? When did I become a grown-up?" It's a wake up call: you're not an adolescent anymore. You have the C-word. Compromise.

I'll always be a kid at heart though. Heck, I still laugh at "huffle puff" and will always do "That's what she said." But getting married... you can't help being more serious and a little less fun. Except I tell myself, ‘you just live it up. Embrace it and keep on laughing’.


(Click to view close up)

I think cinnamon rolls are a hidden treasure. They're my favorite. What's yours?


Off the fourth album by Lifehouse, Who We Are – ‘Come Back Down’ is quite simply a brilliant single. Other than that very serious statement (one which I have contemplated over for the past) I cannot figure out what else precisely confines the mood of this song. I’m struggling with how best to summarize a track that is beautiful, affecting, and dazzling throughout quite literally every single note. It’s a single so good, so undeniable; it forces me to go back to my old ways of literally forcing everyone I know to listen to it from start to finish. It’s a single that is so well created that I’ve listened to it now about twenty times.

For reference the following statements say nothing about the actual sound of the band, the type of music they produce, but it’s the easiest way for me to explain how. It’s well crafted and worth listening to, the song is infused with magnificent lyrics and it’s so epic and so moving you’re required to start it over again and again and again.

My Latest Plaything

I don't know what it was like in your neck of the woods, but it was a fantastically dazzling weekend around these parts. Let's recap, shall we?

I went out and got myself a new toy. Even though I regularly have to remind myself what SLR stands for, I've wanted one for a while and I finally bought the Nikon D3000. It’s feeling pretty awesome so far.

I'll spare you the technical details mostly because I don't know them and making them up would probably just make me sound stupid. The D3000 is big and fast and handles like a dream. A really good dream. It also has more settings than you can shake a stick at. I have no idea what half of them do but they look cool. And the clarity rocks.

Truthfully, the most interesting part was the reactions I got. The cam attracted a lot of stares. And more than a few virtual nods. Quite a few thumb's up. And I got a few interesting looks as well. They were thinking one of two things.

- Wow, cool cam!

- Huh, she looks a little young to have a midlife crisis.

I’m going to go ahead and talk about the single ‘Blind’ by Lifehouse which I’ll be playing for you folks here today. ‘Blind’ wasn’t exactly the single that made a huge impact. It wasn’t a direct continuum of the band’s first two albums, ‘No Name Face’ (2000) and ‘Stanley Climbfall’ (2002), but it is (when looked at objectively) a solid effort from a great band. ‘Lifehouse’ is just that; a solid third album from a great band. Unfortunately, it feels as if it was largely passed over simply because it was different from the band’s usual tough alternative style.

Long story short Lifehouse’s music is brilliant, and the songwriting and craftsmanship is apparent in this single and it’s something to be heard by all. To Ku2.

An Honor Just To Be Recognized

I hardly ever talk about work, but...

Yesterday, I went to a very large meeting attended by most of the people with whom I work. In front of these people - 100 people or so - I was presented an award. I didn't know about it ahead of time so I'm sure I had that deer in the headlights look you see on people when their cocaine labs get attacked by the police in the dead of night. But I was stunned and thrilled to be recognized with a nice pat on the back for a job well done. It was, quite sincerely, awesome.

As my mom used to say (constantly - what was up with that?), you can't judge a book by its cover. There are lots of things you just can't presume about a person by just noticing them at the office or outside. Everyone has secrets. And secret abilities. Like me for example. I bet you didn't know that:

I was a quite a little dancer back in school. I even joined a team and we took part in a variety of dance competitions around the place. I'm afraid after that it was all down hill!

I judged a Dumb Charades competition for one of the annual college events.

I'd make the perfect spy. Nobody ever suspects me of anything. I've sometimes used this to my advantage.

I am able to see all sides of an issue or argument, which sometimes makes decision-making difficult for me. It's the curse of being born under the astrological sign of Libra.

I can remember crazy things I talked about with other people that are truly irrelevant.

When I didn't eat out all the time, I could remember everything I ate AND what you ate and where/when we ate it.

If my oldest and closest friend were to stop me on the street and ask me to run away with him, I would go because I know he’d treat his girl like treasure.

Well, not to brag or anything, but I am consistently and overwhelmingly 100% correct, all of the time. It's crazy. And it confounds people.


If you’ve been a regular around here you’ve no doubt that I have a deep love for the guys who make up Lifehouse. I also believe they’re one of the most under appreciated bands of all time. I mean honestly, their last four albums were out of this world brilliant. So it was great today when I got started with work and one of the advertisements I got to review was that of Lifehouse’s new album ‘Smoke and Mirrors’. On this latest effort the music is fascinating and diverse. There seem to be layers upon layers that can only truly be appreciated after repeat listening (I try to digest all of my new music acquisitions in this manner). For those of you whom are curious, the title track – ‘Halfway Gone’ can be found below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
I’m going to be blogging about Lifehouse for a month straight. Also, if you like what you’re reading/seeing/hearing feel free to leave a comment on my blog. Every comment will be much appreciated.

Abigail, Abby, Abbymonster, Aolem, Lemlem (muh muh muh lem!), Princess Lem, Lemska –

And yesterday she turned three. How did this happen? I know that minutes flowed into hours which were carried by a swift tide into days and, in turn, years but these three years seem to have hurried much too quickly. And she is no longer a baby. Instead, a little girl who walks and runs and talks and repeats everything and grabs the prettiest things from my dressing table. Sometimes, I want nothing more than to be with her, even if that means having to play her crazy games.

I'm enclosed by toys of different Disney characters (I recognize Ariel, the Little Mermaid… well not really little anymore with the size of those knockers). Abigail, my niece while having her breakfast (donuts) on her birthday morning told her mum how she wished she’d look like one of her favourite female cartoon characters. I'm only somewhat appalled. I mean, the way Disney depicts princesses doesn't exactly make them look like missile engineers. They're over-sentimental, fall in love at the drop of a hat and get on any random idiot - uh-erm - magic carpet. It's like their whole celluloid way of life is geared wholly towards landing a prince. And that's not right.

In spite of awful role-models and near-lethal amounts of sugar, Abigail’s small birthday party restricted to just family, was fun. Just keep your fingers crossed that we have the same luck on her huge party sometime during next week...when friends, family and kids descend upon our house. Send good vibes. And if you don't hear from me soon, send help.

Abigail, you are adorable, special, smart and funny and I am proud to be your aunt. I'd appreciate it if you'd sleep a little later than 7:00 am and, maybe, not pound on my door when you think it's time for me to wake up (that's cruel). But you’re cute so you can get away with it.

For some reason the other day, I kept replaying the song 'Diamonds are Forever' over and over again in my head. Thankfully the internet still exists and I was able to find a version of this track which has become one of my all time favorite songs since Shirley Bassey’s original, which was the James Bond theme in the movie ‘Goldfinger’. Arctic Monkeys never fails to impress and this track is no different. Included below is one of the finest reworking of a song. This cover is not to be missed.

My thought process when I buy a wallet: "Would Wonder Woman be able to save the day with this held in her hand?" The answer is generally no, but in my head there are buzzers going off screaming a big yes.

I really, really do not like wallet/purse/clutch shopping. None of them appeal to me. Brands don't do it for me, most of them have some kind of chunky metal flower or poop-shaped thing involved, and those – I don’t get. Did I miss out on some feminine training growing up or something? I don't know, I guess I'm just a practical girl. I'm drawn to simple and functional stuff and nothing too loud.

If you think about it, a woman's purse/wallet reveals the kind of person she is. Right? Next time you're out, look around. It's kind of interesting. Anyway, since my wallet before plainly fell apart, I've received a weird looking thing my mother insists me on carrying now.
Then we argued over which one of us got to keep it. She reminded me that she was too old to carry off pink. I don't know if she even thought of me while buying it. I suspect not. And then she frowned all day upon my lack of style.

In today’s casual news, I got a haircut. Just a short crop. You know what I mean. The type of haircut that will look charmingly devilish with sunglasses and the appropriate amount of uninterrupted attitude to match. I needed something new, radical and feisty for the summer.


Sometimes I forget how totally kick ass the eighties were. Let’s face it, I was only eight years old when the nineties body slammed the eighties into the past, but there were some good times to be had as a youngster in the eighties, like Genesis and Phil Collins. And listening to his music now brings all the yummy goodness right back to the front. Listen to this track (one of my favourite Phil Collin tracks growing up) ‘In the Air Tonight’ and you’ll be pleasantly thrilled with the drum-heavy explosive bursts, thundering chorus and a general sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia never sounded so good.

Trust me, this track is a good enough song that you should impulsively listen to it from the player below and enjoy it over this holiday weekend. Cheers.