I always do my Christmas shopping late, decorating always seems like a chore… This year it doesn’t seem to be any different. Since we are moving into the new house the weekend before Christmas, it seems silly to think about decorating at all. But Roger is convinced that if we can get the living room into good shape earlier, that we should decorate a tree in the front living room, even though we are not yet living there. A little crazy in my mind. But we will see if that actually happens.
But seeing as how I was going to put together an events site and have yet to do even that… I thought I might at least post a little holiday spirit on my site since I have the means, and crazy enough, the time to do so. So over the next couple days there will be additions about holiday activities that everyone can enjoy. Maybe I will catch the holiday spirit as I post.
From Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book (copyright 1963) 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed) 1/2 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin (standard can) 2 3/4 cups flour (not packed) 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ginger Optional: 1 cup raisins 1 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 400º. Mix sugar, shortening, eggs and pumpkin thoroughly (there may be lumps of shortening still). Blend dry ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture, sitting until well blended. Add raisins and/or pecans. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cookies may be iced when cool with a thin butter icing (see below). Makes 4 dozen (depending how big your blobs are).
Butter Icing (I am usually to lazy for this) 2 1/2 Tbsp soft butter 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp cream 3/4 tsp vanilla
Blend butter and sugar together. Stir in cream and vanilla until smooth. Makes icing for about 4 dozen cookies.
It has been awhile since there has been a new band that charged me up and made me happy that live music exists in this world. Some of the bands that I have seen that have this ability to continually blow me away include Silent Comedy, Get Back Loretta, Nada Surf, and The Smart Brothers.
The common thread between these bands is that they don’t take things too seriously and have fun with what they do. You can see, hear and feel that they love music and want you as a fan to love it too. Their performances feel like parties on stage and off) where you can’t resist dancing and singing along… even if it is your very first time seeing them.
This weekend, I was able to revive myself and get out of the house to check out a couple of bands that I had never seen or heard about before. I saw the video for “Thin Sides” by Army Navy with Paul Scheer, from “Human Giant” and “Best Week Ever,” and was excited about what I saw and heard. Apparently Army Navy had a few songs on the “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist” soundtrack, but it has been a while since I have seen a movie. Seeing that this band was energetic and could poke fun at themselves, drove me down the boulevard to the Beauty Bar for a night of music.
Here is the video if you haven’t had the chance to see it already:
When we arrived there was a band already playing on stage. I first thought that it was Army Navy, but figured out fairly quickly that it wasn’t. Wow, another band that had energy and happy vibes! Awesome night. The band happened to be The Takeover UK, a name that still doesn’t roll off of my tongue. This Pittsburgh band actually struck a chord with both Roger and I. Roger stated that The Takeover UK made him “feel like picking up his guitar and tossing it out the window.” At least that is what I heard/remember. They inspired me to think happy thoughts while bouncing around on the smoking patio that is the bar’s dance floor.
Army Navy from Manhattan was up next. I think I had pretty high expectations at that point after the video and seeing The Takeover UK. They were great, but I was more into The Takeover UK. Sadly the guitarist had injured his foot while on tour and ended up in a low stool for the night. Actually, I think the drummer from The Takeover UK had just gotten back from the emergency room for some stomach/pancreas problem… on pain meds surviving the night. From either bands performance, you could not even tell.
It was the last night on tour. The energy was high. For the final song of Army Navy’s set, they invited to the stage members from both The Takeover UK and The Shys, the headlining act. It reminded me of earlier shows with Silent Comedy and Get Back Loretta. Powerful ending to the set, and for me the night. I really wanted to stay to see The Shys, but my bed was calling through my belly.
Over the next two weeks, I plan to revamp this blog to include listings of special events around San Diego. There will be a ongoing bar on the side for larger, annual events with their dates and links. I will do also do weekly listings for the week(probably posted each Sunday night).
These special events will include festivals (beer, wine, street fairs, holidays, etc.), arts events, special film screenings, cool sporting events (like derby, OTL or other cool/unusual sporting events), good comedy, trivia nights, burlesque and vaudville shows, as well as other unusually cool things to do around town. Submissions of listings can go to karmiclifeevents@gmail.com. These submissions will be screened, I cannot lie. It is still my blog.
When I’m not crazy with work and family there will also be reviews and promotions of events that I particularly want to hype just cause.
I do need help driving people to my site. Not for money or clicking on ads, but I would like to have a purpose and share what I know. This town is full of cool things to do that often go unnoticed. So help me, help the world to know that they can leave the house (and their TV) and find something fun to do that is not just going to see a movie at the mall.
I am finally posting the video of Roger playing with his old band from NYC, Squirrels from Hell, who have been playing on the New York Marathon route for 19 years.
Some of you may have seen this already since Roger posted it and sent it to some of his friends. He never told me that he posted it until this weekend. So here it is…
Karmic Life 