Week in Review #7

An entire week back in the city with no traveling! Huge wow!!!

Week in Review

This past week I was at the NACC conference in Cincinnati, and it was a non-stop experience. I started every morning at 8:30am and didn't get back to the hotel room until 10pm. Add to the craziness of the conference itself the fact that the internet signal in the convention hall was horrendous, there was pretty much no chance for blogging this week. So at home now, I blogger...

"Born in the USA" was not written for July 4th

Firework shows across the country are wrapped up by now. Bottle rockets, jumping jacks, roman candles and the like will still be going off for quite awhile. Some of the firework shows were probably lame (like the one I saw in Cincinnati) and some were probably awesome (like Navy Pier most likely). Most all of them are set to some type of music.  I can't imagine how many of the shows in our country will include Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA"

The most unpatriotic song ever.

Week in Review

I've been really trying to get into a regular blogging rhythm lately.  It's just a good place for me to process what I'm experiencing in life, regardless what it is (scroll to the bottom of the page and read the left column, as far as why I do this blog). One cool thing I've seen in the writings of other bloggers I follow is the concept of a day for random meandering.  Ben Arment calls it his "Wednesday Morning Run Down" and Tim Schraeder calls his the "Monday Mind Dump." Love this idea, and am going to learn from it. For me Saturdays will be the best day for meandering, hence, "The Week in Review." 

Here we go...

Thanks for the reminder Bruce

The other night I was driving home from an awesome 20's group around 10:30pm. It was a beautiful night, the first drive of the new season when I could roll down the windows and crank the music. Exactly what I did. Wanted to just listen to some of my all time favorite songs, so I jammed to some Pumpkins and other randoms, but eventually rolled the Zune over to The Boss. Couldn't get Badlands any louder, or Thunder Road. But the one song, my favorite all-time Bruce track, "Better Days," really hit me in a deeper way than just jamming on the way home:

Well my soul checked out missing as I sat listening
To the hours and minutes tickin' away
Yeah, just sittin' around waitin' for my life to begin
While it was all just slippin' away.
I'm tired of waitin' for tomorrow to come
Or that train to come roarin' round the bend.
I got a new suit of clothes a pretty red rose
And a woman I can call my friend

These are better days baby
Yeah there's better days shining through
These are better days baby
Better days with a girl like you

Well I took a piss at fortunes sweet kiss
Its like eatin' caviar and dirt
Its a sad funny ending to find yourself pretending
A rich man in a poor mans shirt
Now my ass was draggin' when from a passin' gypsy wagon
Your heart like a diamond shone
Tonight I'm layin' in your arms carvin' lucky charms
Out of these heard luck bones

Now a life of leisure and a pirates treasure
Don't make much for tragedy
But its a sad man my friend who's livin' in his own skin
And cant stand the company
Every fools got a reason to feelin' sorry for himself
And turn his heart to stone
Tonight this fools halfway to heaven and just a mile outta hell
And I feel like I'm comin' home

These are better days baby
There's better days shining through
These are better days
Better days with a girl like you

My wife, my daughter, my family, my friends, my church - I really don't have anything to complain about in my life. And even if I did, I feel like I have clearer, healthier outlook at present. "These are better days" is the epitome of how I feel about life right now.

I came into 2009 praying for a renewed sense of joy and purpose in my life. Though I've heard it 100x's or more already, the way the lyrics of this song really hit me emotionally was a proof to me that I'm gaining that joy, deeply.

The first line is a good word to where I was a year, year-and-a-half ago: "my soul checked out."

But the last line of the bridge is where I am today: "Tonight this fools halfway to heaven and just a mile outta hell, and I feel like I'm comin' home."

Yep...these are better days. Better days it's true.

Superbowl Recap

I know now that it was the Steelers and the Cardinals in the Superbowl, and I also know that the Steelers won. All trivial information.

Halftime show was GREAT! Bruce is...well, to be cliche, the man! I admit, I don't think "10th Ave Freeze Out" was the best song to start off with because it's incredibly old and not as many people would know it, but - he is the Boss. "Born to Run" and "Working on a Dream" I guessed he would play and was correct. For the uninformed, during "Working on a Dream" the guy standing behind him was indeed "the guy from the Sopranos" and the woman behind him was NOT Reba, it was his wife. I, like everyone else in the country, thought the last song would be "Born in the USA" - however "Glory Days" was a better pick. It goes along with the history of rock music that people still don't understand the meaning of the song. "Born in the USA" is not a happy, patriotic song. People love singing the chorus but don't know the verses. Bruce knows the meaning of his song - so he picked "Glory Days" - which is indeed a happy, friends hanging and celebrating type song. He was the man.

Commercials were OK this year. The beer commercials are normally a lot funnier, but this year they were rather lame. These were my favs:

#4 - Bob Dylan song


#3 - Careerbuilder.com


#2 - "I'm Good"


#1 - Free Doritos


Last night at our 20's homegroup we were talking about who is left that would be good for the halftime show. U2 and Bruce have been the best, but who is there that wouldn't be lame? Here were some of our ideas:

- Bon Jovi
- Billy Joel
- Coldplay
- John Mayer

I can't remember who else we said, probably because those are the 4 I would approve of. :o)

The Superbowl I've been waiting for!!!

Right now at 1:40pm on the Friday before the Superbowl I admit that I have absolutely no clue who the two teams are for this Sunday. Nope - have no idea. To be honest, don't care. I usually just eat and watch the commercials anyways.

However, like a Bears or Cubs fan at the beginning of the season saying, "Maybe this year," I've always hoped for one specific Superbowl appearance. And this year - the hope is becoming a reality (which no Bears or Cubs fan can say)!!! The man, THE BOSS, is playing halftime! Bruce!!!

The last time I looked forward to the halftime show was when U2 played, and there hasn't been a better halftime show since in my opinion. Every year though as the show was going at our youth group party I would lean over to my friend Paul Valente and say, "Bruce needs to do this - it would be awesome." It would rock and there would be no wardrobe malfunctions.

And this year it is happening! Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, playing Superbowl XLIII. Can't wait - can't wait!

Check this out from yahoo: ARTICLE

And I just found out he'll be at the United Center on May 12th! Whoo Hoo!!




What teams are playing again this Sunday?

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