Early Bird

When my December playlist kicked in this year, this track spouted up again and I’m still completely smitten. This Erasure/Cyndi Lauper collaboration was released last year to little fanfare. And I don’t think it’s had it’s due….So give it a go! You can stream it on lala…or I found an old article which has realplayer/windows streams. Take your pick. 🙂
http://www.lala.com/album/576742227527038305/
http://www.zmemusic.com/electronic-music/new-erasure-featuring-cyndi-lauper-early-bird-stream/

Heartbeat

More British boys vying for the electro/rock crown. The video is awesome. Lots of pushing and falling. [Late of the Pier – “Heartbeat”]

Heartbeat

More British boys vying for the electro/rock crown. The video is awesome. Lots of pushing and falling. [Late of the Pier – “Heartbeat”]

Walking on a Dream

Oh my, what galaxy did these fellows blast in from? Some feel good 80s inflected Euro glitter. Love the artwork!

 http://www.walkingonadream.com.au/

Travelogue

This is the last of the travelogue pictures, I promise.

 2 more hikes here in Arizona…one called Black River (The first 2 pics are from there…probably hard to tell which is which as we’re always wearing the same clothes), and the second was Camelback Mountain: A very steep and intense hike (there’s a railing along the first part so you can literally pull yourself up the mountainside) which, after getting through the beginning, was mostly crawling over boulders like a little monkey…Fun! Mom’s pretty badass I have to admit.

 We (and half of the metropolitan area of Phoenix — the trail was swarming with people) were rewarded with a cutely decorated tree up at the top, before we bounded down again. 

Dream On

Let’s let the incomparable Robyn prep us for the new year. Here’s a track, first featured on Swedish Producer/DJ Christian Falk’s record in 2006 but re-recorded and added to the US version of her most recent album, that packs quite a whallop. Tinged with hope,, it always struck me as a little mournful and sad. Regardless, here you go:

 

Pavelka Winery

Um. Our family has a winery. Well maybe not our family per se…but distant relatives…And they apparently have a thriving winery in the lovely Slovakia.

 You may be saying to yourself, “Ahhh, this makes a lot of sense.” Or you may be saying, “You moron, don’t you know how to spell your last name.”  Well as it turns out, the family surname apparently changed from Pavelka to Pavolka at some point over the years…I heard it had something to do with a thriving laundry/grocery business and the desire to “Americanize” the last name…though I’m not sure how changing ‘e’ to ‘o’ improved things. I guess it sounds a little less Eastern European…but the ‘o’ is a lot harsher.

 Regardless, check out a link to the winery: http://www.pavelkavino.sk/

 And here are the questions I have for you:
A) Do I change my last name? (I think Yes is the obvious answer, although all the pesky paper work makes it a lot less appealing.)
B) Who can read Slovak? I can’t read the website…
C) Who wants to go with me on a pilgrimage to the family winery?!?! 

Ho Ho Ho

Hope everyone’s Xmas was slammin’. Santa misses you!

AZ Hike

After a drizzly (in Arizona?!) Sunday, Mom and I hit the hiking trails at Bartlett Lake yesterday. It’s an enormous man made lake that is undoubtedly the place to be once the weather turns hot…but in December, we basically had the entire area to ourselves. With all the lush green in the background, it was hard to believe we were in Arizona instead of Washington State.  Ominous clouds threatened to dump on us…but they took pity on us and stayed dry the whole time. Though we were visited by an enormous (military) helicopter, which whipped above our heads. Strange.

 Probably one of my favorite hikes since the family moved SouthWest. Here are some pics:

Stuck at the Airport

Well I finally made it out of lovely Newark and have made it to the family in Arizona safe and sound. Snow/sleet provided today’s requisite East coast sendoff. But it’s warm and mild here.

Here’s a holiday song from the Brushfire Records holiday compilation (by the always reliable Money Mark) that pretty much summed up my travel experience today. New perfect holiday travel song!

When you get on the page, just select the featured song – “Stuck at the Airport”
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Money+Mark