Soundtrack of 2011

Last year I started posting my favorite songs of the year. This year, I chose my top 10 albums of 2011.  Here they are in no particular order.  You'll notice I am a little bias when it comes to artists that dwell or dwelled in my hometowns. :-)
4ontheFloor: 4X4

Adele: 21

Cake: Showroom of Compassion

Dawes: Nothing is Wrong

Dessa: Castor, the Twin

Girl Talk: All Day

LIssie: Coverd up with Flowers

Jeremy Messersmith: The Reluctant Graveyard

Red Hot Chili Pepers: I’m with You

tUnE-yArDs: whokills

Doomtree: No Kings

Peace love and music,

Syrah

Good Ridence 2011... pretty much all of it.

Hi friends!  Confession... I didn't blog nearly as much as I would have liked because honestly, 2011 was kind of a depressing year for me.  Not surprisingly, I had a really hard time in turning 30.  Not only was it hard to come to grips that I was about to move out of my 20s and into 'middle aged,' but the thought of letting go of the goals I had set for myself years prior of where I wanted to be when I reached this milestone birthday.  Clearly, my plan in life has taken an alternate route... And I'm hoping that this route will be filled with beautiful scenery, adventure, laughter and joy.  Here's to 2012 and here's to a new and improved Syrah.



Peace and love,

Syrah

Mr. Minnesota Nice Guy

Today I received this message from the guy I dated over the summer.  His name was Mr. Nice Guy because... Well, he was one of the nicest guys I had ever met. Or, so I thought.  If there were a poster boy for Minnesota Nice... he would be it.  He's tall, blond, blue eyed, big teddy bear kind of guy.  He's quiet, reserved and everyone has always introduced him as "a really nice guy."  He loves the outdoors, drives a truck, has a cabin and a boat, likes to hunt, fish, four-wheel... and even.... get this... gulp... loves country music.  TRUTH: He was nothing I'd ever imagined in an ideal boyfriend. He was a little on the husky side, slightly nerdy (okay really nerdy), tucked in his shirt, wore awful stone-washed jeans from Fleet Farm and called his flip flops "thongs."   But, with that same breath of me saying he was nothing I had ever imaged dating, he was everything I thought I would ever want in a partner. It was without a doubt he would make a great husband and father.... someday.  He respected women and he treated me amazingly.  He opened doors for me, paid for dinner, invited me to meet his family and included me in his daily routine.  After dating him for just a short amount of time, I could honestly see myself becoming Mrs. Nice... Actually sooner, rather than later. And despite some people thinking we were way too different, we made it work.  Or so I thought.  



Mr. Nice Guy and me at a mutual friend's wedding



Maybe I got a little crazy with the whole getting old thing.  I won't lie that it is true that a woman's clock does start to get louder, the older we get.  Maybe I tried to rush things too much and maybe I (just like Kim Kardashian) love to be in love.  But whatever it was... My dreams of becoming Mrs. Nice were crushed earlier this fall.   

I'm still unsure of what happened, or why he thought he should end it.  But, he did. And very abruptly.  This 32 year old Mr Nice Guy was so nice that he picked up the phone one night... No wait, I take that back.. I called him one night and while on the phone, he had enough respect to dump me right there and then. His reasoning?  We were too different.  And he said he never had feelings for me. 

Needless to say, this was news to me.  We had just had a great weekend with friends at a Twins game where he invited our friends to his cabin that following weekend.  It would be the first time he showed me his property Up North and I was looking forward to the nice quite weekend away.  I was confused because this guy that said he 'was never really into me' had the habit of calling me every morning to wake me up and tell me how he couldn't wait to see me. The guy that would send me emails and texts telling me how excited he was to see me that night or weekend. This guy that apparently thought we were so different, had the nerve to make references of how he could picture himself with me... for the long haul. 

MN State Fair

After not one, not two but three weeks of complete and total heart ache, I picked up the pieces of my broken heart and taped them back together.  I don't think I could have done it though if it weren't for the amazing support system of my friends and family. I'm focusing on Syrah now.  I'm taking care of the #1 person in my life.  I'm going to yoga, running, hanging out with my friends and really just loving life.

Two weeks ago, I celebrated my Dirty Thirty.  That entire week of my bday  my phone, mailbox, Facebook wall and Twitter @'s blew up.  Everyone was wishing me a HBD!  Everyone... except Mr. Nice Guy.  So now, 2 weeks later... two weeks of too little too late and he is now asking me out to dinner. 

During our 'breakup/dump' phone call, I told him that he was making the wrong decision.  I told him that one day he was going to wake up and realize he let go of someone amazing... someone that would have been a great life-partner and someone who truly cared about him.  I told him that when he realized he made a mistake, he could only hope and pray that I was available and still interested. 

I wonder if today was the day he woke up and realized what an asshole he was and what a mistake he made? I wonder if today he woke up and realized that perhaps a 32 year old man should not break up with a woman over the phone.  Quite frankly, I can't remember the last time I had a relationship that ended via phone call.  I wonder if he realized that today would be the beginning of the rest of his life without me.  Ever.
 
Peace and love,

Syrah

Fresh Ink

My best friend Leia and I turned 30 a couple weeks ago.  We had a one-on-one date, had a fun 80s themed party and decided to finally go through with our life-long commitment to one another and get wrist tattoos.  We had originally planned on getting stars on our wrists when we went to Vegas this past spring.  The last night we were there, with an entire entourage of people we picked up along the way, we walked for miles to the tattoo shop.  When we finally got there, the sign said 'Henna Tattoos and Piercings.'  Sadly, we had to tell our new friends that we weren't going to go with just some stupid temporary tattoo.  We said our goodbyes and went back to our hotel room.  The next day we passed the shop on our way to the airport and discovered that we read the sign wrong and it said:
"Henna
Tattoos
Piercings"

We dodged that bullet. 

Now, 5.5 months later, we decided that our 30th bday presents to ourselves would be tattoos.  After some research and references, we decided to get them done at Tough Love Studios.  PS: I highly recommend this shop.  Joel is the owner and he's awesome.  So is the staff there. Leia decided on getting the word LOVE tattooed on her wrist and I decided on a treble clef, peace sign and heart combined into one.  I think of it as: Peace, Love and Music. 

This may be my favorite memory of my birthday and now... I will remember it... forever.

Peace and love... and music,

Syrah

What's in a Name? That which we call crap

Since I turned 25, somehow I ended up with a rule: If you go on a date with me, or date me long term, I give you a nickname. It's not a pet name.  Let's set the record straight now.

So far in my life I've dated:

Liar Steve

Metro

Funny Man

Sean Sucky

Sass-man

Toothless

Loser

Cinco Cinco

Mormon

Married Man

Brown Bear

Mr. Nice Guy

Corduroy Suit/Doritos Dude/Hollywood

I've decided that some of my blogs will be used to tell the story behind the nicknames and to also bring humor to your life.  Yes, these are true stories and yes, they really did happen.  I've always said that I need my own realty show. I guess this is the closest thing I get to it.

Peace and Love,

Syrah

Moms Say the Darndest Things

I sent my mom a photo of the guy (Mr. Nice Guy) I've been hanging out with recently. Below is what I captured of her texting me with her thoughts on him. Clearly you can tell my mom is quite the serious college basketball freak.







Peace and love,

Syrah

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mom's Magical Retirement Tour

My mom is retiring at the end of the month after working for more than 32 years at the Rock Island Arsenal. She started out as an entry level admin and has now worked her way up to be a college educated accountant. I'm so proud of her. She raised me by herself; worked long hours, overtime and put up with a lot of governmental bullshizzle to provide for our small family.

Beings how I'm the only child, it is my duty to throw her a farewell fete. And luck would have it that I actually have some experience in throwing a party.

Mom's favorite band is The Beatles. And, I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that she hasn't really grasped on how to work her iPod... Or her car CD player that somehow only has a Beatles 'Best Of' on repeat.

The Free Bird Retirement Party will take place in September. And, it just so happens that our hometown Quad City Symphony is holding it's annual Pops Concert featuring: The Beatles!

I found this cute website that has given me a TON of awesome ideas for the whole Beatles theme. And even though it's for a first bday party, I think it can work for a retirement party. http://www.hostessblog.com/2011/03/babymania-beatles-inspired-birthday-pt-1/

The plan is to have a social hour at a nearby pub with Beatles themed food, decor and drinks. Then, we will continue our Magical Retirement Tour downtown to the Pops Concert for some more Beatle-Mania.

Here's a glimpse of the proposed menu:
- LET IT B - LT Bites
- Octopuses Garden:
*Veggie tray
*Salad
*Broccoli, sundried toms/salad
- I am the EGG man deviled eggs
- Wings… I have no idea how to tie this one in with a song….
- Carmel green apples for the whole ‘Apple’ record company
- Yellow Submarine themed cake with mini submarines made out of Twinkies
- Day Tripper Brownies? :-)
- Mr Robert's Remedy Specialty drink

Other ideas I have for this include:
Mustaches on a stick
A very homemade photo booth with a Polaroid.. That works

Evites have already went out and now my job is create some awesome hard copy invites. Eek.

I have a feeling I've bitten off more than I can chew but I'll give it all my best shot.

It's gonna be a Hard Days Night... Errr month.

Peace and love,

Syrah



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location: