#32 Buy a CD a Month & Write a Review (1/33)

COMMON - Be - May 24, 2005












Thank you Crystal for the gift of this album.

Okay, the CD is in the player and my from the intro my head is bumpin! This is my first ever attempt at a review as well as my first time to listen to a full Common album. With that said... This album offers a fused feel of gospel, R&B and Hip-Hop. Common's voice sets the mood for every track with his naturally smooth voice. Considered a rapper I'd dare to say he is more of a poet accompanied by music. After several spins in the player, I feel this album lacks deep substance but for what it is, it's good, not the greatest but good.

My favorite tracks and Lyrics:
The Corner: We write songs about wrong cuz its hard to see right / Look to the sky, hoping it will bleed light / Reality's a bitch, and I heard that she bites

Go: (Go) And a ooh baby she liked it raw and like rain when she came it poured
(Go) Freaky like the daughter of a pastor, said I was bait for her to master

Faithful: I was rollin' around, in my mind it occurred / What if God was a her? / Would I treat her the same? Would I still be runnin' game on her? / In what type of ways would I want her? / Would I want her for her mind or her heavenly body?
Walk this earth for her, glory, I'm grateful / To be in her presence I try to stay faithful

They Say: They say "life is a game," so I play hard / Writin for my life cause I'm scared of a day job

#94 Buy Piggy Bank for Quarters

Well... I didn't have to buy a piggy bank.

Why are they called piggy banks anyway? (Off to the internet!)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pygg is a type of orange clay, once widely used for making pottery in the form of jars, cookware and other household items because it was economical.

A piggy bank was originally a "pygg jar". Later, the word "pygg" became less common, and its sound was reinterpreted as "pig"; only then did piggy banks actually begin to be made in the shape of a pig.

The original pronunciation of "pygg" was probably closer to "pug", but over time the pronunciation changed due to the Great Vowel Shift and became a homonym of "pig".

Okay, okay, enough about that... Although that was pretty interesting! Something I never knew nor ever really thought about before. Oh how my blog is full of useful information! haha!

Anywho, I didn't have to buy a "Pygg Jar" because I got one as a gift. Usually for Christmas my boss gives me some comically lame cologne products. Example, you say? Well, last year I got a fine gift set of Stetson, that's right Stetson, Avon's way of saying we should all reek of OLD men! And the year before I received a gift a little more up to date... Hot Bod! haha! Oh, just typing that makes me laugh! I have to say too, that stuff works nothing like the commercials portray it to! I rarely to NEVER had women flocking and/or fighting over me! Okay, yet again I've said too much and not enough! This year my boss got me a neat Guinness can that had pajama pants in it. The cool thing (for me) is that the can not only had the pants in it but it also doubles as a coin can!

Check it:

#74 Write a Haiku a Week (3/143)

The Sky Has Fallen

The Sky Has Fallen
And Gloom Leaves Tears on Petals
Until the Fog Lifts.

#61 "Hold My Beer & Watch This" (Do something cool)

So the days leading up the the Mayweather fight this past Friday (12/7/07) there was plenty of televised hype, with pieces on both fighters and an awesome training piece on Mayweather. He was doing sit-ups; but these were no normal sit-ups, at least none I had ever seen before!

This sit-up is like any other sit-up BUT when you get to the "up" position you stand up and throw a couple of punches. Of course when I saw it I knew I had to do it! So I did! On our camping trip I knocked out two in a row. Maybe I could've have done more but not after... "Hold My Beer & Watch This" haha!

Check out this video of Mayweather "Doing Work!" (@ minute 1:10) I can do that!

***By the way... My modified sit-up is nothing like his! :)***

#36 Make a Bonfire and Roast Marshmallows

Thanks to the camping trip and Reno for getting the fire started we had plenty of flame for the roasting of marshmallows!

The fire Reno and I maintained. Although I didn't wake up in the early morning hours to maintain it! haha! Thanks Reno!

The ingredients for a S'more!

#10 Go Camping

Pack it up, pack it up, let's begin!

Finally, after months of talk the much anticipated camping trip was put into action!
The list of necessities was exhausting and the weather was a tad bit of concern but we all had been waiting for this trip for quite some time. ...One night we nearly up and left on a trip (on a whim) late in the evening with COLD rainy weather on it's way but came to our senses! Good thing we didn't go because the weather was sickening that night and the following day! But that's a whole other story.

Crystal, Joey, Lando, Allison, Reno, Brad & I packed our gear loaded up and headed to Muleshoe Bend for a weekend (12/8-9/07) away from city lights, television and cell phones! The great outdoors!

Crystal and I next to "our" tent. Thanks James!

A VERY BIG thanks to James [Stephanie's better half, haha :)] for letting us borrow his tent! Otherwise we would have been crammed in Brad's tent, or possibly lost sleep in Joey's tent (CRAZY SNORES) or just cozied up in ReAlli's (Reno+Allison) tent. Even though the tent didn't have directions and none of us out there were familiar with it's pole system we figured it out and it definitely made for a more than comfortable tent with all it's extra space. Greatly appreciated James!

Our sleeping quarters. Crystal got the air mattress.

The trip was most definitely a quality ass time with some of the most awesome folks around! The weather was not a concern until we decided it was time to pack up. a nice little bit of rain blew through which had us tossing our gear in any open truck bed available! But we kept ehh somewhat dry and made it out before the mud got to thick to drive though.

I can not wait until the next trip! You guys made the weekend a great one! Next time, CHUBBS better be there!

THE CREW
Brad (Sleeping... It's barely 8:30)

Allison & Reno (Story time)

Joey (Camp Chef)

Lando

Diego & Cryatal

#99 Have Lunch or Dinner with the Cohens

Dining at a new restaurant is always a good time for me! Anyone who knows me knows I can put away some food and I love trying new places.


Erica invited Crystal and I to have dinner with her and her family at Garcia's Mexican Restaurant in Buda. Crystal and I had never been there before but heard so much about it from the sisters, Stephanie and Erica! =) So after work we met them for a GREAT dinner! The food was delicious and the atmosphere is "homey"... And better yet, the company was very enjoyable!

If you're ever in Buda and want some great, inexpensive Mexican food this is definitely the place to be!