The World According to the Shea Crew

NEW POST!!!!!

2009-01-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long....

Driving by DinosaurLand yesterday, we hear the kids talking about a Longneck. No more longneckasauras. Now, it's just longneck. It's funny how you miss the cute little words the kids create when they start saying things correctly.

We did discover a giraffasauras, though. Miss J told us all about this rare species. Supposedly, the girafasauras was around millions of years ago and it ate giraffes.

Even though some words change, there's always new ones popping up around here.

2008

2008-11-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

2008 has been a great year. There have been a lot of changes in 2008. We've moved. I've begun working from home. Marc graduated. One of our best friends is engaged. Kids have started school. We've met great people who have come to mean a lot to us. Exciting ideas have begun to take shape. We are looking forward to 2009, that's for sure!!

As we've come into the holiday season (the favorite time of the year around this house), we really have started to count our blessings. We have been very fortunate this year to be able to spend time with each other and all our loved ones. Hopefully, in 2009 we can spend even more time with everyone.

So, the Shea's will begin our holiday traditions. Getting a turkey that is way too big for a family of five, stuffing it, and throwing on all the yummy sides. Going shopping in secret to help Santa out. Going through our clothes and toys to donate whatever we can to people who need it more than we do. This is the greatest time of year and we hope to share as much love and laughter as possible with all of our family, old friends, and new friends (all of whom mean so much to us).

Happy Birthday, Moo

2008-10-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Moo's birthday. Happy Birthday MaggieMoo! We love you!

Joosin' Up

2008-10-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've blogged consistantly. And I'm sure our millions of readers are annoyed by that. To remedy the situation, I am writing about my new favorite drink. Oh we all pretend to love single malts, microbrews, and vintage vino. But when you gotta get your drink on, you need Joose! This stuff is insane. It's a malt beverage/energy drink. That's nothing new. What differentiates this from Tilt or Sparks is the alcohol content. It's a whopping 9-9.9% ABV! There are four flavors apparently. As far as I can tell, you describe them much like you describe the taste of Kool-Aid; by color, not actual flavor. The flavors are orange, red, blue, and purple. I've only had the orange and I can only describe the taste as liquored-up grapefruit juice, but not as tart or sour. Yes, that's a perfect description. I have to give it up to my buddy, Mike. He opened me up to the world of Joose. My eyes have been opened and my mind expanded!! Although Mike warns me that Blue Joose doesn't taste so good. Maybe he had a bad Joose trip.

Fantasy Baseball

2008-09-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well My Fantasy Baseball season is over. After an impressive 10-0 start, my team, The Cheese, ended up finishing 2nd overall. The Bom-Chicka-Wow-Wow Team beat me. I wasn't upset, though. They had beaten me two other times this season and they won using Andy Pettite and A-Rod in the last game at Yankee Stadium. The score was so close that the last game was the deciding factor. So, I tip my hat to the Bom-Chicka-Wow-Wow's. They owned me all season. Being #2 isn't too bad.

The Verve's Forth

2008-09-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, The Verve, possibly my favorite band of all time, released their fourth album. The appropriately titled Forth is the band's first release in about ten years. I'd love to say that it's the best thing they've ever released. But I can't. It's solid and a great release for a band that's been on hiatus for a decade. It's an interesting mix of their first three albums. There are tunes on this CD that could fit on each of their other albums. The highlights for me are:
Sit and Wonder, Judas, I See Houses, Valium Skies, and Appalachian Springs. Each song is amazingly strong. The other half of the album (it's a 10 track offering) is considerably weaker. Rather Be is really good, but take out the background vocals and I would like it even more. Love is Noise could be better without the bizarre "oh-oh, oh-oh" and "woo-hoo" that pepper the song. Take them out and the song kicks ass! Numbness sounds like it should have been left as a B-side. Noise Epic and Columbo are strange and a bit disjointed.
I would have loved to hear guitarist Nick McCabe go crazy. But even during the jams he seems subdued. The album is DEFINITELY worth getting. Maybe after a decade of waiting, my expectations were too high. Hopefully this album is just a springboard to even better offerings in the (hopefully near) future.

New site

2008-09-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

If you've ever had a crappy job or just hate those stupid motivational pictures then check out the newest friend we put on our site: Despair.com. I haven't laughed so hard in a really long time. The videos are hilarious!

Remember This?

2008-07-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thou Shalt Have No Cymbals

Thou Shalt Have No Clue

Thou Shalt Not Play The Same Song Again

Thou Shalt Have As Many Pedals On As Possible

Thou Shalt Only Play After 9PM

Thou Shalt Never Try To Record Track By Track

Thou Shalt Play The Blues A Lot

Thou Shalt Never Play Cover Songs

Thou Shalt Never Write Lyrics

Thou Shalt Not Have No Feedback

Thou Shalt Pray To The Wah-Wah

Thou Shalt Have Duels With The Drum Machine Regularly

Thou Shalt Always Achieve Loudness

Thou Shalt Slam

Thou Shalt Always Be Super Karate Monkey Death Car

Ed's S.K.M.D.C. -O- Gistics

Dinosaurs you may have never known existed....

2008-07-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Longneckasauras

Bladeasauras

2008-06-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

That's a duck named Chicken.....

2008-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Look, Mommy......

A SEA BEAVER!!!!!!

The magic of childhood

2008-06-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

The tooth fairy visited our house for the first time and we are very excited! It is amazing to share little traditions with your kids. This was a great one! Congratulations Bean!!

The Wedding of Cheek and Teddy

2008-05-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2008 - Cheek and Teddy became one today in a private ceremony surrounded by family and friends. The nuptials, officiated by Bean, and attended by Bub, Moo, Baby Elephant, and Marc and Beverly Shea, was THE event of the season.

The bride was resplendent in pink fur and the groom was handsome in white. The ceremony was brief and was capped off by a small kiss between the new husband and wife. The happy couple ask that in lieu of gifts, a donation be made to the Stuffed Animals of America Happiness Fund.

Congratulations!!

2008-05-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

A great, big congratulations is necessary for my loving husband, Marc! As of May 5, 2008, my hubby is a college graduate! This has been a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice, and has taken a lot of dedication. College work can be hard but it is a lot harder when you have to juggle work, kids, a wife, church, family, moving, a career change, extracurricular activities, and school work. I have to say my husband has undergone a lot of stress to get to this point but he handled it well.

Marc, I am so proud of you. I know one of your biggest regrets was not finishing college and I saw how hard you were on yourself. But you knew you needed to do this for your family, so you pushed through all the tough times.

I am amazed at your strength of character and I want you to know what an inspiration you are. I am truly proud of you and proud to be your wife. The kids are proud of their Daddy, too. I love you, babe.

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-CLASS OF '08 ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Engrish Locks!

2008-05-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, we have added a new link to our blog. It's www.engrish.com and I am addicted to it. If you have ever purchased anything from another country, you have probably experienced engrish. I can't stop checking this site out. Every time I go there, I just crack up. I've become addicted to it! I can't look at it at work because I don't get any work done!! Check it out and you can thank me later!

9 Things I Am Thankful For

2008-05-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

1. God (No explanation necessary.)
2. My babies and their silly laughter (There's nothing like it. It is so sincere and has the power to make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in.)
3. My hubby (He knows why...)
4. Family and friends (Nothing more important in the whole world than my family and friends.)
5. Good food, good wine, good dessert (Ummm...making myself hungry.)
6. Turn signal that automatically turns itself off (Otherwise the click, click, click would drive me bonkers.)
7. Mute button (Oh, the joys of silence.)
8. Oldies music at a car show (There's something so cool about a bunch of people coming together and enjoying themselves in such a simple way and seeing Marc smile and reminisce is amazing.)
9. Cooking (I love making food people enjoy. Don't always get it right but when I do Marc closes his eyes and I get a very happy "ummmmmm" from him. Makes me happy.)

An Ant's Life in the Shea Household

2008-04-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

Here is an account of what happened this morning:

Moo: Mommy!!!! There's an ant on the sink in the bathroom.
Mommy: Okay. Calm down. Just swish him away.
Moo: No!!!!
Bub: How 'bout say something scary to him.
Moo/Bub Chorus: Boo!
Moo: No...that didn't work!!
Bub: How 'bout we tell him a joke.

a '90's Flashback

2008-04-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

I experienced something the other day. I put in a CD the other day that I hadn't heard in a while. It was A Northern Soul, by The Verve. As I listened I remembered buying the CD, listening to it, and thinking that the CD would quite possibly NEVER leave my CD player. For quite a long time, it didn't. But, as is usually the case, something else came up (probably Urban Hymns, The Verve's follow-up). As I did my chores, listening to the album, I thought, "How did I let so much time go by without listening to this"? Every track is amazing. It has kind of inspired me to revisit some of the CD's in my collection that I haven't heard in a while. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm looking forward to pulling out my CD's from Catherine, Snow Pony, and King's X.

And I thought three was tough!

2008-03-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Bev has me almost hooked on a new show. Actually the show isn't new but we're new to watching it. It's Jon & Kate plus 8. This is a couple who had twins, then four years later, they had sextuplets! If you ever wanted to know what Bev and I are like, WATCH THIS SHOW!! It's actually very funny. I don't know if it'll be as funny to those of you without kids, but you mommies & daddies out there will love it. They just seem like people you can hang out with. So I'm almost hooked. So I really enjoy the show, but if I miss it, I'm not annoyed (plus Bev DV-TR's it each night, so I can always go back and watch it).

Happy Birthday!!

2008-02-27T16:03:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to Uncle Scott!!!!!!!!!!

We send love, hugs, and kisses!!!!

Good for a chuckle...

2008-02-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

Miss J. came to our room a couple nights ago. She stood in the doorway, in the darkness of the hallway with something in her hand. I hadn't been feeling so well that day so she brought me something to make me feel better. Quietly, she explained what she had brought to me. So quietly, in fact, that I couldn't hear what she was saying. I asked her to repeat what she was saying.

Exasperated with her mommy, Miss J declared: "Mommy, I brought you a camel..........you know....a desert animal.......it's got two humps on it...."

Top 3 Surprise Albums of 2007

2008-02-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

I was asked a few weeks ago to post something about the three biggest musical surprises of 2007. Well, I'm going to preface this post with two disclaimers. Disclaimer #1: These albums are my biggest surprises of 2007, but the albums may have come ouot earlier than '07. Disclaimer #2: I'm going to list five albums (plus one honorable mention), not three. These albums are in constant rotation in my car, at home, and at work. So here,without further ado, and in no particular order, are my five biggest surprise albums of 2007.
The Shore - The Shore:
This is the best Britpop album Britain never produced. The band is from California, but the sound is pure U.K. I've posted about the album before, but it deserves mention again. The CD was released in 2004 on the Maverick label. The good news is that the band should be releasing a follow-up soon. Stan outs include Waiting For The Sun (NOT the Doors song!), Firefly, Different Ways, and Hold On.

Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals Starvation League - The Longest Meow:This album is awesome. There is such a wide variety of styles on here. At times it sounds like Marty Robbins started hanging out with Neil Young. The album was released on Bloodshot Records in 2006. According to the liner notes, the 11 tracks were recorded in 11 hours. The 12th track, a Pixies cover, must not be included in that! The vocals are always so heartfelt. It fits perfectly on the Bloodshot label. To me, this is the equivalent of a modern day Flying Burrito Brothers album. Stand out tracks include Snuggling World Championships, Back to Blue, Stop Crying, and Borrow Your Cape.

Back Door Slam - Roll Away:

These guys are a power trio from Britain. The blues-based rock this band makes shows a definite Cream influence. But there's more. There is also a hint of Dire Straits and maybe a bit of Derek & the Dominoes. Guitarist Davy Knowles plays like Vaughan, Clapton, and Knopfler, all rolled into one. I'd take him over John Mayer any day. While Mayer is a better fit for pop music, Knowles voice and playing is perfect for British blues. The album was released on Blix Street Records in 2007. Stand outs include Outside Woman Blues, Come Home, Heavy On My Mind, and Too Late.

Johnny Society - Coming To Get You

I have all but one album by this band. I bought them all in '07 after hearing one song! So, instead of putting all of the albums on here, I'm putting the album with that one song on the list. That song is The Witch's Plea. I'm not really sure how to desribe this band. Their sound is all over the place. Not heavy, not pop, not wussy. I guess they're kinda like a modern Wings. Great songwriting with a sense of humor. It's just a fun album, and a fun catalog of work! The album came out in 2005 on Messenger Records. Stand out songs are (obviously): The Witch's Plea, What Breaks In You Might Break You Through, Don't Talk Me Down, and Bound.

A Shoreline Dream - Avoiding the Consequences:

This band is really cool. I'm a big fan of big, loud, sonic landscapes. Tons of guitars, droning chords and vocals, slow tempos just draw me in. This album has this is spades. The CD almost puts you in a trance, so you may not want to listen to this while driving or operating machinery! It's an album that flows together. It sounds powerful, but not in a Tool kind of way. It's like listening to the ocean. There's a powerful beauty that's very subtle at the same time. It was released in 2006 on Latenight Weeknight Records. Stand out songs are: Laying This One Down Now, Focus The Present, Love Is A Ghost In America, and Pour.

Honorable Mention goes to The Meeting Places - Find Yourself Along The Way. Graet throwback to shoegazing. Fuzzed out, multi-layered guitar, dreamy vocals. That's a winning combination for me.

Happy Birthday!!

2008-02-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

It is Mom's birthday today and we all would love to wish her an extremely Happy Birthday!!! Love from the Shea Crew!!

10 things I love...10 things I hate...

2008-01-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Sunday night. Sitting here thinking about my 30th birthday coming up and wanted to add a new blog. Here's some things you may or may not know about me:

LOVE
1. God
2. Marc & the Kids
3. Family & Friends
4. Nice, Crisp Wine
5. Chocolate
6. Bread
7. Quiet Time
8. Capers
9. Soft Clothes
10. Trips

HATE
1. People Who Can't Merge; Signal; Drive
2. Bread That Molds Too Fast
3. Arguments
4. Stress
5. Not Seeing Family or Friends
6. Loud Noises
7. Hair Issues
8. Weight Issues
9. Tooth Aches
10. Rude Language

Care to share your own list???

Finding time

2008-01-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Can anyone tell me what it is like to go to the bathroom uninterrupted? I can't tell you the last time I was able to close the door and have a moment. Actually, the last time I closed the door, the kids started banging on it so hard I thought Jack Nicholson's face was about to break through and shout "Honey, I'm home..." Every day, I have to scold the kids for silly stuff. Things like: Bubbie give your sister a hug!!!; or Moo, eat at least three beans!!!(I have no idea if three beans give her the proper nutrition she needs but I'm hoping); or Bean, don't use all your ChapStik at one time (She's turned up greasy on several occasions).
Luckily for me, Marc helps me out with the kids. Together, we get to wipe paint (washable kid paint, thank God) from the bathroom sink and floor. We get to find the missing Cold Blankie (and place it in the correct order of blankets: first of five), and we get to explain that "things" that are blown out of the nose should not be called "gum".
Parenthood is an amazing adventure and you never know what you may face from one minute to the next. Currently, Moo is a cat, Bean is feeding her, and Bub is hitting a ball with a Whac-a-Mole hammer.
It is always a good day when Marc and I find time to sit back, relax, and listen to an off-key version of Happy Birthday, Horsey; late-night conversation between kids; or a soul-stirring giggle that never fails to make us smile. These are the things that are worth finding time for and I hope we will always remember how lucky we are even when the door is threatening to buckle because kids are demanding entrance into the bathroom.

Another quote from one of the kids...

2008-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! It feels good to be connected again! Moo has been at it again. They all dispense little nuggets on an almost daily basis so I struggle to remember some of the completely silly things they say.

This one has to top all I've heard lately:

I sat next to Moo and was telling her how great she and her sister and brother are. She didn't seem very interested in what I had to say (I could tell by the lack of eye contact and the sigh). After getting no response from my praise, I continued to try to provoke some love and smooches from her. I said, "Moo, I love you." After a long, exasperated sigh, she plops her chin in her hand, shakes her head and says: "I don't have time for this...."

(I'm still laughing over this one and it has been a couple of weeks.)

Happy New Year!

2007-12-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

This year may have been one of the most exhausting years of my life! My family has moved twice in 15 months. There have been house sales, countless trips, kids starting school, me finishing school (for the time being), changes at work, the list seems to go on and on. We STILL have to get our internet set up at the house. So the blog has been an infrequent "duty". But we have all persevered. Now we gear up for our taxes.

As I look back at last year, and at my life as a whole, I am reminded of something my parents would always tell me. "God never gives you more than you can handle". It may be very difficult to handle some of the things thrown at you, but you can do it. The past 18 months have been a testament to that! Packing up your family to move to a new city where you know absolutely no one, to start a new job, is putting a lot of Faith in God and in that advice. But you know, it's probably been one of the best things I've ever done.

2007 has been an interesting year, as most years should be. 2008 has a lot to live up to! But the year holds much promise and I, as a father and a husband, am looking forward to what it brings, because no matter what it is.... I know I can handle it.

We're back...Sort of.

2007-12-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hey there. Bev and I have been in the process of moving, so we haven't posted in a while. We're still trying to coordinate with our new ISP to install service to the house.

So we're getting into the spirit of Christmas. How about you guys? What Christmas album do you HAVE to hear before you're in the Christmas mood? For me it's Ray Conniff, We Wish You A Merry Christmas. When the chorus chimes out "Jolly Old St. Nicholas", all my childhood memories rush back in a flood of Christmas Joy! It becomes one of those times where I just sit and stare into nothingness. I just reminisce. Trips to my grandparents houses, cousins houses, parties, snow, days off from school, are all released from the deepest recesses of my memory. Man, life was good when I was a kid. What happened? Besides responsibilities, the world has just become a much darker place. I want my kids to have the same fondness for their childhood as I do, and as my parents do. They deserve it at least as much as we did.

Update

2007-11-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hello, all. We have moved. Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't offer high-speed service on our street. So we are currently looking for a new ISP. As soon as we find one, we'll post more!! I know you're anxious.

The Shea's

My Top 10 Favorite TV Shows

2007-10-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's my list:

1. Everybody Loves Raymond
The whole family was just insane and there's nothing funnier than their Thanksgiving episodes. This show takes everything to crazy extremes. It also makes me thank God I have such a great relationship with my in-laws!!
2. NewsRadio
How can you not like this show? Phil Hartman....Dave Foley...need I say more? Okay, I will. I absolutely loved this show. I actually thought this show was consistently funnier than Seinfeld. Jimmy James was totally clueless. "Jimmy had fancy plans and pants to match."
3. 3rd Rock from the Sun
This is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Jon Lithgow given free reign to be a big goofball-what more can you ask for? If ever you want a big laugh, check out YouTube for some funny clips. My suggestion: The episode where Dick is in Denile (sic). Jon Lithgow in squeaky leather pants. Oh, it makes me laugh just thinking about it....
4. The Office
Just started watching this show recently. If you like the movie Office Space, I think you would like this show. The boss is this absurd guy who can't seem to realize he's the biggest idiot.
5. The Closer
Normally, I wouldn't like an actress adopting a fake southern accent to play a character, but Kyra Sedgwick nails her character. The show is about a deputy police chief that specializes in closing cases. The writers were smart enough to include a healthy dose of comedy in the show and the supporting cast is fabulous. This is one show Marc and I never miss.
6. Seinfeld
No favorite tv list would be complete for me without Seinfeld. This show was probably the first program I became addicted to (other than the Smurfs, of course). I can't hardly watch any of the episodes anymore because I practically know all of them by heart. Beside Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, the supporting cast held their own. From Frank and Estelle, Mr. Peterman, Newman, and (my favorite) Puddy, these characters made the show.
7. King of Queens
This is a show that I started watching after hearing Tami talk about it. Any show with Jerry Stiller in it gets my vote. He can deliver a line like almost no one else.
8. The Cosby Show
This one goes a long way back. I used to watch this as I was growing up and I still watch it today. One of my favorite scenes was when Cliff had taken the kids out to eat and came home, looking defeated, with a balloon tied to each of his ears. This makes me laugh even harder now that I know the chaos kids can cause when they are taken out to dine. For anyone without kids yet, just wait until you have some and take them out to a restaurant for the first time. If they give you a hard time, just think about Bill Cosby with a balloon tied to each ear and try to smile.
9. Lost
Marc and I once had an all-night marathon after renting this show on dvd. We haven't been able to keep up with it as we'd like (I guess more marathons are in order, Marc), but this has to be one of my favorites. The first episode showing the plane crashing are some of the most heart-pounding moments I've ever seen on television. Sure makes you think twice before boarding a plane.
10. Murder She Wrote
Okay, okay... No Polident and Social Security jokes, please. I can't believe I'm admitting one of my guilty pleasures. For a long time, Marc was the only one to know about this little secret 'cause he doesn't judge me (but if he does, he's smart enough to keep it to himself). I actually enjoy the whole whodunit genre so this one comes naturally. (If the list were any longer, Matlock may have made an appearance-stop laughing.)

Okay, this is my list. I actually don't own any of them right now but my collection will get started sooner or later.

The things kids say...

2007-10-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

As I was driving the kids home from preschool today, I was struck by how many times they make me laugh just by opening their mouths. Here are just a few of the things they have said:

Miss J:

What the hell was that????
(This was said at the tender age of 2 as Marc was driving and she heard road noise.)

You're not going fishing with me.
(This is what she said to me when she got mad at me.)

I love my grown-ups.
(This is what she said after Marc and I told the kids we love them.)

Bub:

Please invite me to Toys R Us so I can be happy.
(He said this as we were driving by the store.)

I'm at a car show.
(This is what he said after lining up his toy cars in rows.)

You're a poof-it.
(Don't know why he says this but it is a regular.)

Moo:

We've got ourselves a nodder.
(She referenced the movie Cars when she said this as she was nodding off.)

This is the best sleep party I've ever had.
(She said this as we were furniture shopping and she was trying out every chair/bed.)

I'm not a baby, I'm a grandma and I take good care of Mama.
(She said this when Josie was trying to get her to pretend she was her baby.)

Oh, the silly things they say! These kids sure make me laugh!

Six Years

2007-10-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

This Saturday will be our sixth wedding anniversary so I'm making this post for you, Marc. I love you so much. I made a promise to you to love you for the rest of my life and I find that easier to do every day. I cannot think of a better man than you. You make me so proud. Every day, I see how hard you work for us and I want you to know how much I appreciate that. The kids love having you for a dad. Watching you roll around on the floor as the kids pile on top of you is one of those memories that I conjure up when I have a bad day or just need a reason to smile.
You have always been and will always be my very best friend. Through you, I've met so many wonderful people that I am proud to have as my own family and friends. You are my safe place, my comfort, and my strength. I love you and feel truly blessed to be able to call you my husband. Happy Anniversary!

(Okay, the rest of you can stop gagging now -ha, ha!)

Marc's 5 favorite Albums

2007-10-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

So I was talking to Ed (SINEDDIE for those of you "in the know") and he challenged me. He asked if I could name my five favorite albums of all time. With my CD collection in the thousands, that's a tall order. I have narrowed it down, but I'm not completely satisfied. I may have to expand this into my top ten. I tried to keep it away from artists with catalogs that I can't narrow down to one favorite album. So you won't see Zep, The Beatles, or Pink Floyd in this (you may when it goes to ten). I went with the idea of choosing albums I always go back to after my flavor of the day has gotten tiresome. Even then I missed a few favorites by narrowing it to five. These are in no particular order. Except maybe the first on my list. It could be my favorite CD of all time.

Verve - A Storm in Heaven
This album just sound like the soundtrack to my dreams. Psychedelic, a bit pretentious, but accessible. This album sounds so innocent. I think that's partly due to my innocence at the time and the stark contrast between this album and everything else I was listening to at the time. When grunge was king, I was a happy disciple. Then I heard this and was blown away by how different it was. It was one of those albums that I knew from the beginning that I'd always go back to. The opening chord of StarSail grabbed me. It rang out like a exploding star and I knew I would love the album. I would put this CD on the list just for that one chord.

16 Horsepower - Secret South
This CD has to be one of the greatest CD's of the past decade. The band has to be one of the most overlooked bands in recent history. I had been following 16 HP since their first EP. They fulfilled their potential in this album. This is the CD I hoped they would put out. It is just a spooky sounding album. It is heartbreaking and beautiful. They're the band that writes the soundtrack to ghost stories by a campfire. Every town has that one resident that's a loner. Rumors fly about him shooting people, killing his family, or some such nonsense. 16 Horsepower is the band that guy listens to. There is just a spooky vibe to these guys. They almost have a goth/alt/country sound, if that's possible.

Jeff Buckley - Grace
This guy took me by surprise. A friend sent me a tape after Jeff's death. It was a mix of his only solo release while living, Grace, and his first posthumous release, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. The beauty of his voice still sends chills down my spine. After I heard the tape, I immediately went out to find Grace. But no one had it, so I went for Sketches. Good CD, but it's just what it says it is, sketches for an album never finished. Grace falls in with the Verve's A Storm in Heaven album. It was so different from what I was listening to that it kept me enthralled for months. So Real and Corpus Christi Carol are two of my favorites, but I couldn't say I dislike any track from Grace. The album always makes me a bit sad. I always tend to think about Jeff's death and what could have been, had he not passed so early in his life.

Steve Vai - Passion & Warfare
This album was one of the first albums I had that I HAD to listen to constantly. I had Satriani's Surfing With the Alien, and I LOVE Satch, but this album just mesmerized me. How can this guy be THAT good? It's not possible. I played the tape (yes, tape) for eveyone I could. Vai is the reason I picked up the guitar and the reason I put it down. I still try to sound like him, but I know I never will. I loved this album because it was all over the place. Shred, Jazz, blues; how can one album have all that and still make sense?

Singles - OST
This one is a bit of a cop-out. I had a hard time picking between Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumkins, Mother Love Bone, et al, so I picked a soundtrack with all of them on it. But the songs are all great. Breath, Drown, Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns, Nearly Lost You, Birth Ritual, and Would? are all great tracks from great bands. Just listening to this brings me back to college and just after. Mother Love Bone started my love affair with grunge but so many other things killed it. I still love the older stuff, but PJ hasn't put out a consistantly good album since Vs. Alice in Chains touring with someone filling in for Layne Staley? No way. Mark Lanegan still puts out good material, but it's a lot differnt than the Screaming Trees. Soundgarden's last album was a bomb (as were all the Audioslave albums). Vedder and Cornell have blown out their voices. So I listen to the old stuff. Besides the nostalgia factor, the songs are just better than the new stuff.

Honorable mentions go to the entire Zep catalog, Temple of the Dog, Pink Floyd up until The Final Curtain, The Beatles catalog, My Bloody Valentine, Rush's entire body of work (especially Hemispheres), and The Black Crowes. Who knows, these bands may show up in updated lists. I think I need to do a Top 20 or 25 list to be fair. So who knows, maybe this is just installment 1 of 4 or 5.

Marc's 5 Favorite Movies

2007-09-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is tough. Not as tough as the next blog I have to write (my 5 favorite albums of all time), but difficult nonetheless. So here they are, not necessarily in order.

Spinal Tap - "There's such a fine line between clever and stupid" - David St. Hubbins, Singer & rhythm guitar for the Tap. This movies absolutely straddles that line. But it's so damn funny! Have you ever purchased a DVD and played the movie with the commentary on? I have. It's so distracting. It has no redeeming qualities in 99.9% of all movies. Meet Mr. point one percent!!!! The movie is actually even BETTER with the commentary on during the ENTIRE FILM! Writing about it makes me want to watch it! This is definitely a guy film, though. My wife loves it, but she's in the minority. Most women don't understand it. It's mindless fun. Don't think too hard while you watch it and you'll be fine.

The Quiet Man - One of John Wayne's finest. It's a movie about a boxer from America who moves back to his native village in Ireland after killing an opponent in the ring. It's a story about redemption and new beginnings. It's about love. It's also about drinking and fighting. This movie has something for everyone! The scenery is beautiful. The acting is great! A movie full of micks! Can't get any better than that.

The Passion of the Christ - Saying anything about this movie will only detract from its immensity. If you've seen it, I cried, too. If you haven't, you must. There is only one way for me to describe the effect this movie had on me. I saw it in the theater. When it was released on DVD, I bought it almost immediately. I still have not been able to watch it. There is a director's cut version out now that I must get, to see the way Mel Gibson intended it to be seen. But I need to gather the strength to watch it again.

American Graffiti - This movie makes me wish I was 17 again. Not much else does. It always makes me smile. The movie is pure innocence on celluloid. Custom cars, cruisin', drag races, and the Goat Killer!!! This movie WAS my teenage years (except the Goat Killer part. Didn't do that). Oh how I miss car shows, Friday night cruises on Main St. in Somerville, driving a 1953 Ford F-100 to school everyday. I'm feeling some nostalgia coming on! Time to pop the DVD in. If you ever want to be reminded of your cock-sure teenage days, put on American Graffiti and a smile. This movie never disappoints.

Gladiator - A Ridley Scott epic. No more descprition should be necessary. The scope of this movie is amazing. What puts it over the top is the fact that it is not only visually mind-blowing, but there is a fantastic storyline. The opening scene, I believe it is called Hell Unleashed, sets the tone and the movie just continues to amaze as you watch. Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe are perfectly cast in their respective roles. "Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?"

These are my five. It was tough. I wanted to squeeze about 5 more picks in there but that would be 10, and that's not what I was asked for. I wanted so terribly to list Amadeus, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Patton, Old School, or Secondhand Lions (see, I squeezed ten into a top five list). But he wanted five so I gave five.

Bev's Five Favorite Movies

2007-09-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Ed posed an interesting question to us so I will share my favorite movies with you and tell you why I enjoy them.

1. 12 Angry Men
I like this movie because the acting is absolutely superb. This is probably my favorite movie of all time. The movie is pretty simple. Almost all of the action takes place in a jury room. The character's biases and prejudices are exposed as each man tries to convince the lone hold-out to vote guilty. If you haven't seen this movie, it is most definitely worth your time. This is one movie that I watch no matter how many times I have seen it in the past.

2. A Christmas Story
This movie makes me feel all warm inside. This is a movie that MUST be played on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in our household. Once, Marc, the family, and I were driving and we had a flat tire. Luckily, a state trooper stopped to help us change the tire. The whole time, we were remembering and laughing about the tire-changing scene from A Christmas Story. "Oh fudggggge......." One of my favorite scenes was when Ralphie's mom called Schwartz's mom to tell her what Ralphie had said and to claim that her boy had heard it from Schwartz. The screams of "What, what" and the subsequent sounds of Schwartz being punished make me laugh every time! This movie feels like a part of me and I enjoy it every time I see it. My absolute favorite scene is when Ralphie's mom and dad sit together and watch the snow fall gently outside the window. This makes me want to sit next to Marc, sip a glass of wine, and rejoice in the beauty of having each other and the love of our family and friends.

3. Office Space
This movie is just silly. This movie pokes fun at so many things and it always makes me laugh. From pieces of flare, Michael Bolton, breast cancer awareness films, and corporate down-sizing, nothing is safe. "Na, na, not gonna work here anymore." "Why should I change my name? He's the one who sucks." I laugh just thinking about this movie.

4. Beauty and the Beast
I have loved this movie since I was a little girl. The story is sweet and funny. When everything in the mansion came alive to entertain Belle, I was enthralled. I enjoy this movie even more now that I can share it with our kids. I love the whimsy of this movie. It's a little piece of magic that makes me smile.

5. Man on Fire
The one word I think of when I think of this movie is WOW! Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning are fantastic in this movie. As a parent, this movie can be a little hard to watch but it is amazing.

To me, movies that make me feel something or think are the ones that really appeal to me. All five of these movies do that for different reasons.

Times have certainly changed.....Thanks Internet

2007-09-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog that I infrequently visit, the other day. One of the posting titles was "I Miss Mixed Tapes". I didn't read the blog, but it still got me thinking. When I was young(er), mix tapes were a popular passtime. My buddy, Ed, and I almost got competitive about it. We would see who could make the best mix. We tried to see who could make the tape flow the best. Then we went to the opposite extreme. Who could mix the most startling contrasts. We also tried to expose each other to new bands we may not have heard otherwise. So the mix tape was personal. I always had The Verve on mine. My quest was to convert the entire world to Verve-ism. It worked after a few albums. Then they went away, only to reappear earlier this year. But I digress. My point is that when I made a mixed tape, I put my favorite tracks on it. Or I put on songs that I knew the recipient of my hard work would enjoy. With the proliference of the internet and file sharing (legal or otherwise), mixed tapes have become a thing of the past. I spend way too much time hunting down little gems to put on CD. All of my mix CD's are discs of rarities, demo's, live, or otherwise unreleased songs by my favorite artists. Some of them are unreleased for a reason! So I never really make mixed CD's for myself. And when I make a CD for someone, it just doesn't feel as personal as it used to with a tape. I don't need to think what songs to put on when I can drop a band's entire recorded output on one disc in MP3 format. Drag and drop just doesn't satisfy me as much as pushing the little record button. Am I the only one? I don't think so, since another blog inspired this post. Who else feels this way?

Wii-Wimp

2007-09-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have confirmed that I am completely out of shape. A few months ago I bought a Nintendo Wii. I picked up a few games with it, but they didn't have a good baseball game at the time. So when The Bigs came along, I got it. Well, after "batting" and "running", I was beat. To bat,you actually have to swing the remote. The hard part is actually "running". There is a second remote connected by a cord to the initial remote. To run, you have to shake them up and down like friggin' maracas! After a few innings, my arms were sore!!!!! The next day at work, I was SO SORE! So I am a Wii-wimp. But after several weeks of intense Wii-workouts, I'm certain I can improve my level of Wii-health and Wii-Strength

Winds of Change?

2007-09-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

There's something about college football that you just can't explain to someone who's not "into" it. There's an enormous sense of pride that goes along with your team associations. I became a RABID Alabama fan after my brother was accepted to the school many moons ago (he's still younger than me, though). I always enjoyed college football, but I never understood the absolute fanaticism until I moved to Alabama from New Jersey. Until recently, NJ's big school, Rutgers, wasn't much in the football department. When I moved to Alabama, I was informed, upon applying for my driver's license, that I had to "choose a side". I sided with my brother, of course. For the years he attended, and every year since, Alabama football has been like the proverbial bridesmaid. Almost there, just not quite where it should be; possibly past its prime. Between the seasons where the team just couldn't quite measure up and seasons of scandal with Mike DuBose and Mike Price, the defection of Dennis Franchione, and lackluster performance of Mike Shula (No more coaches named Mike, PLEASE!), Alabama had developed a culture of defeat. We expected to blow the game in the 4th. I found myself feeling that sense of dread this weekend. Alabama pulled out to what seemed like an insurmountable 21 point lead, early on. But, to make a long story short, Arkansas came back through a series of blunders by Bama and the officiating staff. The game came down to a field goal (that I didn't understand until the game was over) and a TD drive that left just 8 seconds for Arkansas to recover. Bama won! I know he'll never read this, but I want to thank Coach Saban for firing the first shot against the Alabama Culture of Defeat. I do not have delusions of grandeur this year. Maybe next year. But for the first time in a long time, I AM optimistic about the team and how they could finish the season. So here's a big ROOOOLLLL TIIIDE for Coach Saban. You deserve it.

What I've Learned About Football

2007-09-16T13:53:00.001-07:00

As a woman, I can tell you I don't understand everything about football. I can't give you a guy's stats, I can't tell you who won what bowl in what year, but I can follow the game pretty well. Marc and I found ourselves enjoying the Alabama-Arkansas game Saturday. WOW!! Luckily, we were cheering for the same team (I'm sure our neighbors enjoyed the screams of Roll Tide sprinkled throughout the evening air). Alabama scared us after being ahead in the first half. After losing faith in the team and muttering about stamina and conditioning, we were forced to eat our words when the team came back in the last few minutes of the game. It was a great game and I learned something new from it, as well. I learned not to high five Marc when Bama makes the winning touchdown with seconds to spare!!

Voyant

2007-09-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I bought a small bottle of this cream liqueur called Voyant. Beverly loves cream liqueurs like Bailey's, O'Mara's, and O'Reilly's. There's just something about cream liqueurs and Irish names, isn't there? So we went to the liquor store to buy a bottle of Jameson's for a friend's birthday. This little, orange bottle just started begging me to buy it! After passing it over a few times, I succumbed to the little devil on my left shoulder that always tells me to try new food and drink. Maybe he's just an angel in disguise, because this little bottle was really good. If you like anything Chai, you'll enjoy Voyant. If you threw some Chai into a bottle of Bailey's, you'd have something similar to this drink. The website has a huge menu of drinks you can make using Voyant. I would definitely recommend it now that the weather is starting to turn a little cooler. Check out the website at http://www.voyantchai.com/.

Where Was I?

2007-09-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

I recently had a question posed to me by my buddy, Ed. We've been great friends since middle school, but we really started hanging out in high school. At the tail end of high school and the beginning of college, our age bracket had it's musical revolution: GRUNGE. Oh, and I dove headfirst into it! A few days ago, Ed asked me if I could remember the first time I heard a grunge band. I had to think about it because those memories can be a bit hazy.
I remember two major events that shaped not only my musical tastes, but basic attitude for many years. I remember going to my friend Shawn Simon's house. He had a tape (NOT CD)by this band called Soundgarden. The tape was Louder Than Love, to this day, still my favorite Soundgarden album. I immediately bought the only copy I could find. I played that tape the entire summer. I believe it was 1990. Around that same time, I got a sampler tape from Concrete Music. It had a song by Mother Love Bone on it. The song was Stardog Champion. It sounded like nothing I had heard, but like everything I had been wanting to hear. It was punk and psychedelic all mixed up and thrown on a tape. I went out and bought the CD ASAP! So I'm pretty sure Soundgarden was first, then came MLB, because once I got a CD player, I never bought another tape.
Imagine my ecstacy when I found that some Soundgarden members had joined with some MLB members to do a tribute to Andrew Wood, lead singer for MLB. Thus was born my grunge obsession. I became a completist. If I liked a band, I bought anything and everything related to any member of that band. So my CD collection grew and grew. I'm not as insane as I used to be. I've gotten better as some of my favorite bands have gotten worse. My life is no longer centered around trips to the music store. It's funny how you can miss something and not miss it at the same time. I loved my trips to Princeton Record Exchange, Vintage Vinyl, and countless record shows. But my life has changed. I have higher priorities, more stressful days. But I'd not change it for all the CD's in Princeton! (that's for you ED!)All the angst of my grunge days has ended. I'm happy being happy, not angry. Most music aimed at kids is angry. I'm glad I can now listen to the music of my teens and early twenties with nostalgia. You heard it here first: Grunge Nostalgia!!! Man I'm feeling old again.

Losing the COOL...

2007-09-09T11:46:00.001-07:00

You know you've lost any vestige of coolness when you find excitement from shredding paper. We bought a new paper shredder recently and found ourselves enthralled by tiny quarter inch shreds of paper. The whole family gathered around this small machine as if it were Christmas day and we had just finished decorating the tree. After shredding all our old bills and the numerous credit card offers we receive, we went hunting for more. We looked in every stack of paper for anything we could possibly send through the tiny teeth of doom. The kids loved it! We loved it! But, we are no longer cool (if we ever were)!!

Dream Bike

2007-09-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not a real big motorcycle guy, but there are two or three that I REALLY like. Ducati & Ecosse top the list of bikes. There's also the Chrysler Tomahawk. But then there's the JRL Cycles Radial Bike! This bike is just as insane as the Tomahawk, but it's actually being built. While the Tomahawk uses a Viper V-10, the JRL Bike uses a radial engine from an airplane. Check out http://www.jrlcycles.com/ to find out more. They can describe it better than I can. Enjoy the photo's. That's the best I could get for the JRL Bike.

What happened?

2007-09-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

Bev and I have three kids. This week, the two oldest started preschool. How is that possible? It seems like last week that our oldest was born. I think the worst part was that they just took right to it! Their first day was Tuesday. When my wife dropped them off, they just went to their classrooms and started playing. Our oldest actually got ticked off when Bev came back later to pick them up! But no matter how old they get, I decide that that is the age I want them to stay. But the older they get, the more fun they are. They are definitely challenging. But I've always been told that the greatest challenges in life yield the greatest rewards. Whoever told me that damn well better be right!

Recommendation #2

2007-09-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy stories with a twist, you will like Paranoia by Joseph Finder. The main character gets himself in more trouble than he could have ever imagined and has to figure a way out. The book is funny and suspenseful. I could not put it down and when I was finished, I went out and bought every title I could find by this author. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read!

Recommendation #1

2007-09-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is one I missed. I am a huge Verve and Oasis fan. This band is from California, but they NAIL the BritPop sound perfectly! If The Verve and Oasis had a lovechild, its name would be The Shore. The CD came out in 2004. They have a single and an EP with unreleased tracks. Some of the lyrics may sound a little bit contrived, but you overlook it after a listen or two. The album isn't too hard to find. You just have to know that it exists. The unreleased tracks can be found on iTunes for a buck a piece. If you like The Verve, Oasis, Cast, Blur, etc., etc... pick up The Shore. You can have their entire recorded output for under $10.00 and I guarantee you'll be listening to it for a long time.

"Let it flow, let the soft sound glow inside my mind, Things I'll never know"

Ben Ashley - The Shore

In the Beginning....

2007-09-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks. I've created this blog for my enjoyment. All of us in the Shea Crew will end up posting things. We'll be commenting on music, movies, literature, TV, liquor, cars, and more!!! I can thank my buddy SINEDDIE for inspiring this blog. Up the Irons, Bud!!!