Seasons//Months Playlist

For some odd reason, for the longest time I have not just wanted, but craved creating a playlist compiled of songs that mention/allude to the months and seasons. (I like making playlists, okay? leave me alone.) I think this desire began with the song ‘Say Goodbye’ by Skillet because there’s a line that says, “do you remember in December…” and I thought, what other songs talk about the months? Do I know any? Do I own any? Adventure!

Strangely this idea has existed only in my mind for far too long and I just took advantage of the thought now, after all this time (I’ve know that Skillet song since about 2008, so…yeah).

Anyway! I figured since 1) I haven’t posted anything here in a bit (tsk, tsk, Vicks) and 2) this is a kind of fun thing I want to share with peoples, that that is exactly what I’ll do!

Here’s the lineup:

Dead Man (Carry Me) by Jars Of Clay

Valentine’s Day by Linkin Park

Winds of March by Journey

A Rose In April by Kate Rusby

When It Rains by Paramore

Set Your Sails by Future of Forestry

Green Eyes And A Heart Of Gold by The Lone Bellow

Paperthin Hymn by Anberlin

Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

The City and the Ghost by Bedlight For Blue Eyes

Young Pilgrims by The Shins

Say Goodbye by Skillet

My Paper Heart by The All-American Rejects

The Memory by Mayday Parade

Sleep. When We Die. by Anchor & Braille
                       Anthem of the Angels by Breaking Benjamin

The only song I didn’t actually own in my iTunes library is ‘Winds of March' by Journey. You have no idea how difficult it is to search for songs with the word “march” in them and get everything but the month. Strangely it seems hardly anyone sings about anything to do with March. December, April, and November seem to be the most popular months to sing about, while January, March, and June were harder to search for. Definitely interesting. I’m so glad I owned nearly all of these songs in my personal library. My search feels so complete. *strokes playlist lovingly*

Well I certainly hope some of you find this playlist intriguing, because it took me a few hours to properly compile to my satisfaction. I was considering putting a list of songs that mentioned the same month (i.e. lots of songs mentioned “December” so I could have written down several), but I decided just to choose my favorite of the selection and use only one for each month, since there was only one option for some. A few of the songs toss out more than one month/season, so that made arranging fun for sure.

I was also considering jotting down the lyric line that mentioned whatever month/season for you all, but I think this could be interactive, so if you don’t know the song well enough to think of the line right off, then you can look the song up ;) Think of it as an extension of my adventure to come up with this list!

Well, that’s certainly it for now. I’ve only got two weeks, and lots do to!

Ta~

V

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Youtube playlist link, so you don't have to look them all up yourself: 
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVltk2gSW4BjNbhcSmB4dqXeFjetVS5OS

Thoughts of My Waking Dreams

Why is it so oddly satisfying to harmonize with humming household electronics? (Vacuums, pop corn makers, etc.)

If I was bald, I'd probably wear hats almost constantly.

When I was younger, I used to think ingesting blood would put it back into my bloodstream.

No matter up much I practice, I have realized I will never be proficient at speaking to unknown persons on the telephone (i.e. any sort of office, take-out food orders).

I think sneezing while driving is one of the most frightening experiences ever. Especially while on the highway.

Sometimes, if I laugh hard enough and I am simultaneously trying to keep quiet, I will start to squeak.

If you ever ask me the question "if you could pick a superpower, what would it be?" these are the top three answers I will give you: invisibility at will; selective telepathy; and the ability to see everything about myself through a stranger's eyes (looks, personality, behaviors, mannerisms, things I write, stuff I draw, speech patterns, etc.)

I get all my best writing ideas just as I'm falling asleep. If I don't write them down somewhere, they are 90% of the time lost forever. It's difficult to remember things thought of between sleep and wake unless I've left myself a reminder to find later. 

Song Questions

On the road trip to Norwalk, OH for the Pontiac Nationals this past weekend, I decided to put my entire iPod on shuffle (which is only 1,345 songs) and not skip any. The main rule of the game was to write down any questions the songs asked and answer them. I came up with this as I stared out the truck window at all the green mountains of Pennsylvania and figured I would give it a shot. Thus, below is the result of this little game.

“How do you feel about the ocean? How do you feel about the deep blue sea?” (Holiday by Future of Forestry)

It's pretty.

“Hey brother, do you remember when we used to play out doors till the light was absorbed by the night?” (Younglife by Anberlin)

First of all, I'm a female. Second, I do remember that. Kickball in the cul-de-sac till dark. 

“Hey lover, do you remember when we would dance in your apartment till neighbors would knock on your door?” (Younglife by Anberlin)

No, I don't remember that, actually.

“Do you remember when we had no money to speak of, nowhere else to eat but your floor?” (Younglife by Anberlin)

Yes, and we only ate on the floor because there were lots of people and not enough chairs. 

“Don't want to reach for me, do you?” (The Little Things Give You Away by Linkin Park)

Depends - who are you to me?

“Tell me Maria, why I see her dancing there - why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul?” (Hellfire - Hunchback of Notre Dame)

I dunno, Frollo, I think you just really like her body and it’s driving you insane. Also, my name isn't Maria. 

“Am I supposed to be happy when all I ever wanted - it comes with a price?” (Cat and Mouse by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus)

Anything worth having never comes easy, or free. 

“Are we the same people as before this came to light?” (Cat and Mouse by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus)

Perhaps, perhaps not. People do have the capacity to change.

“Can you hear the echoes fading?” (In The Mourning by Paramore)

Always. 

“How much pain has quaked your soul? How much love would make you whole?” (I Belong to You by Muse)

Those are some fairly personal questions, Mr. Bellamy. 

My soul is still pretty intact. As far as love, I'm already more than whole. 

“Will you help me find the right way out, or let me take the wrong way down? Will you straighten me out or make me take the long way around?” (The High Road by Three Days Grace)

I’ll try to lead you in the right direction and tell you when you're doing something you shouldn't be, but I promise I won't always be right. 

“Are you listening? Are you watching me? We have an emergency, so are you listening?” (Emergency by Paramore)

Yes; I wish; very intently. 

“Is this really happening?” (If It Means A Lot to You by A Day To Remember)

Yes. Yes it is.

Summer Updates

Hey all!

It's time for an update. It's been a month already, so let's see the progress I've made on my lists, hmm? (I also added a "Games" list in the middle of everything.)

My reading list:

Inheritance (of the Inheritance Cycle by Paolini) (5/11)

The Girl who Played with Fire (5/20)

Man's Search for Meaning (5/25)

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (5/31)

City of Bones (6/7)

City of Ashes (6/14)

City of Glass (started!)

City of Fallen Angels

City of Lost Souls

City of Heavenly Fire

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Two Towers

The Return of the King

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Prince

Clockwork Princess

My movie/show-watching list:

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (4/28-5/08)

Cats Don't Dance (re-watch) (5/14)

Dinosaurs: We're Back! (5/14)

Road to El Dorado (re-watch) (5/20)

The Fountain (5/22)

Saving Private Ryan (5/24)

Swan Princess (5/31)

Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain (5/31)

Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure

 (for old time's sake; I was obsessed with these movies as a child!) (6/1)

The Road (6/8)

500 Days of Summer (6/9)

The Possession (6/13)

Matrix Trilogy (re-watch) (6/15)

The Island

Legion

Deja Vu

American Psycho

(new) Tron

Games:

Bioshock (6/3 – 3:55 PM to 11:58 PM = 8 hour completion)

Halo: Reach (6/4 – 9 hrs: 16 mins: 48 seconds on one day)
Bioshock 2
Bioshock Infinite (Maybe)
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 2
Halo 3
Halo 3 ODST

Serious:

Revise the living daylights out of first book in trilogy (5/21)

Outline second book (Very much in progress/nearing completion…)

Write second book

Not bad, not bad at all! Just the other day I discovered that in order for me to stay on track at least with the books is to read a book a week until the very last week of summer (in August), which I think I can manage. A book per week isn't that difficult, it's just when the library has some of them available is the problem. Movies aren't that hard to fit in either because they are a set length of time; I can squeeze them in any time I want to, essentially, and I only have five more to go. As for the games, they each take a good long day to finish, which still is manageable, but it's harder for me to find a chunk of time that long where I can just sit and bang out a game. I know, I know, I could still play them in smaller chunks over a longer period of time, but I don't want to forget anything about the storyline. It would end up being that I would start playing a game and then go a few weeks before playing it again and then I wouldn't remember what the heck I was supposed to be doing in the first place. So, in my opinion, the best way to play a game is to play it in as compressed a timeframe as possible. Perhaps this coming week I'll make sure to take at least one day and sit down to play through another one. 

So, I feel I've made lots of progress, but none of the lists are done yet! (Which is okay, really, because I've got two months or so left.) And I really need to get on starting my next book, although I've been stewing about it deliberately - I haven't been "putting it off" as some of you say. Every day I come up with more ideas, more twists, more purpose for the characters, so I'm glad I'm not just jumping right into it. The more I can outline, the happier I'll be with the finished product. (:

As I just demonstrated, for the next two months on the 15th I am going to update my lists here on my blog just to see where I am (and in case anyone out there is curious, they can see too if I've been slacking). Hopefully by the next time I report back, the book outline will be finished and the book-writing will be in progress, as Camp NaNoWriMo starts on July 1st and that's when I'm aiming at beginning the writing process. We shall see if that comes to pass, hmm?

Anyway, toodle-loo! Until next time (in about a month)!

V