Put Another Dime In The Jukebox (3rd Set)

     Ok, so things have gotten a little heavy around here lately, and while introspection is important, singing at the top of your lungs is too. Sadly, I haven't been listening to music much lately, so I thought I'd share a little with you (as I sit and listen to Led Zeppelin IV for the first time in ages).

Brandi Carlisle ~ The Story: I first heard this song just by sheer happenstance. Much to the chagrin of my family, I am a huge fan of the weekly radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion. The reasons for my obsession are another story for another day. On this particular Saturday I was grilling by the creek (I have to admit, I miss that) and listening to APHC. The musical guest for that week was Brandi Carlisle. I had never heard of her, nor had I heard the song she would sing, The Story. In an instant I stopped what I was doing and just listened. I didn't even sit down, I just stood there and listened. It was beautiful, haunting, moving and strangely familiar. It was like I knew this song, but I had never heard it. It was as if The Story was my story. I'm not much of a fan of the rest of her music, though I do like a few of her songs a lot, this song is in my top 25 for sure. The pain in her voice when she sings the chorus at the end of the song brings tears to my eyes upon every listen. It's one of those songs that just about anyone can hear themselves in. Maybe you will to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pQLtHTPaI

Ofelia ~ Hawk Fly Tiger Run: Ok, so I'll admit up front that I have absolutely no idea what this song is even about, but I love it, which is very rare for me because I generally love a song for its lyrics, not its sound, but this song has the coolest, stripped down, subtle sound. She and I discovered this song while watching the one show we both like. I really don't even know what to say about this song except, I haven't heard anything else like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0ht12f4Dd0

Dirty Guv'nahs ~ We'll Be The Light: I struggled with deciding which of their songs I wanted to suggest, so I settled on several. This band is made up of a bunch of guys from Tennessee, so they've got to be good :) The lead singer is actually the cousin of one of my best friends, and that's who introduced me to them. I am so glad he did. They kind of remind me of early Black Crowes, and you know how I feel about that. At times I even feel like I'm hearing a little Rolling Stones. It's nice to know that there are still bands making rock-n-roll music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3N6x47UPV8

Also, We Were Young: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJWnDD5h6uE
One more, The Country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMIv1GQIb8U
These lines, oh my word, don't they just say it all?
“It’s hard, hard to walk away from you
But we don’t live at the same speed.
You’re gonna make somebody happy.
But that someone, ain’t me.”
“Cause when you’re thinking bout the country
You’re just trying to be with me
Seasons change the way that we are
and spring changed me.”

Marc Broussard ~ Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWPseegaKw This boy crawled out of the swamps of Carencro, Louisiana and was apparently baptized in the blues. And yes, the guy in the video is actually the one who sings this song. How that sound comes out of that little white boy I'll never know. I can't dance, I don't dance, but this song makes me get up and move. This song is like an old timey, southern revival. I challenge you to keep from clapping your hands and stomping your feet.

That's all for this time. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to share your obscure, lesser known, hidden gems. I love being introduced to new, cool music.

The Tale Of The Mid Life Crisis And Sugar Free Me

     Four weeks ago I posted about the bad results and blunt realization that I was fat and old (http://brandonbritton.blogspot.com/2014/02/two-out-of-three-doctors-agree-im-fat.html). It's funny how a serious conversation with a doctor can really knock you off your game. Last August I had to begin taking blood pressure medication due to hypertension. Some just refer to it as high blood pressure, which is true, but I think the medical term is more accurate, hypertension, for the simple fact that it includes a serious contributor to the problem: tension.
     2013, especially the last half of it, wasn't my best year. In fact, it may have been one of my worst. In all honesty, looking back, it wasn't really anything serious. Believe me, I have friends battling cancer, dealing with teenage pregnancy, enduring affairs, filing for bankruptcy, getting divorced, you name it. Those are real problems. But just because my struggles aren't as big, didn't mean that their impact on my life wasn't as real, or as debilitating. Things like moving far from home, family, friends and familiarity; starting a new job that you have no experience in; having your firstborn graduate from high school and your baby turn sixteen; traveling heavily and being away from your wife and children; trying to figure out how to pay for things like tuition and surgeries; having two children get seriously injured; and coming to grips with the fact you are medically fat and old (don't worry, in my rambling I haven't forgotten what this post is about). I didn't realize that tension, or as some would call it, stress, was building. The bigger it got, the less of me there was left. I didn't know what was wrong, but I knew something was. I felt constantly exhausted regardless of the amount of rest. Every night when I would get into bed I would begin having what could best be described as a panic attack (racing heart, feelings of tremendous fear). I struggled finding motivation to do anything and my family told me that I had changed. Wow! Wake up call. The worst part of it all, not knowing what to do about it. You have to understand I have a reputation for being the one that nothing ever gets to. I was Teflon to stress, so succumbing to it was an undiscovered country for me. Many of nights I found myself thinking, "So, is this what a mid-life crisis feels like?"
     Generally when people speak of a "mid-life crisis" they do so in derogatory terms. You think of ponytails, earrings, motorcycles and girlfriends, but mine (if that is even what we're dealing with) has been quite positive. The doctor made some suggestions, most of them medicinal which I rejected, except for the blood pressure meds, which I hope to ditch once I drop another 20 pounds, but some of them I heeded. Like exercise, improved diet, increased water intake (seriously, I'm drinking 100-150 ounces a day), regular sleep patterns, and stress release activities. I started writing again (hence the flood of blogs and over-sharing that fill your news stream regularly), experimenting in forms of art (poetry, song writing, mixed media) and trying to stop being as introverted (I've actually started a few conversations with total strangers), all to improve my emotional health.
     The other half of the equation is improving my physical health. Since the "Fat And Old" blog post four weeks ago I have lost eight pounds and since January 1st I have lost twenty. I am not a gym rat, but I am exercising moderately. The main change has been my eating. I have taken control of my appetite. I haven't had a soft drink in a month, I haven't had bread, pasta or sugar in a month either. I don't consider myself to be "dieting" but rather modifying my lifestyle. In reality I'm just taking control of my life and it is paying off.
     I haven't solved all the problems, and I've still got a couple of issues to work out, but I feel like me again. In fact, I feel better than me. I feel like me with some improvements. If I have a goal for the second half of life it would be this: take what I've learned over nearly four decades and put it to good use. Hopefully by my next update I'll be just a little bit older, but a whole lot less fat.