Happiness really is overrated...

Who hasn't gotten lost in a haze of remembrance of something wonderful from the past that ended completely wrong?



"But your memory blazes through me, burning everything like gasoline..."

I'm never going to learn to spend within my music budget. I hear a song and just have to buy it.

"Because losing you was something that I always did so well..."

The Invention of Sugha Dust

Just cause I think I am funny and am a major music geek (...err just geek really, but whatever), I've set up a new blog so I can write about and post the music that I'm currently listening to. Music is my longest enduring obsession.

About a month or so ago, my friend Dale convinced me if I didn't buy Beatles Rock Band, my life was going to come crashing in all around me. How could I say no? I had already been toying with the idea because I love the Beatles and secretly have always wished that I learned to play drums. Within two minutes of finding the microphone, I forgot about the drums and have been singing my heart out ever since. I am a lifelong car singer, but now I have a way to amplify the sound from my television while having a cartoon grading system tell me I'm a rock star (well, duh.). My collection has since expanded to include all the Rock Band games, Band Hero, and Karaoke Revolution.

I know the music is important, but the most important part for any band (especially fake video game ones) is the name. One fateful day in a team meeting at work, we were all going sugar high on a big bag of Smarties and completely spazzing out. I laughed about something, and a puff of chalky sugar dust came out of my mouth. ; the name was born. My teammates gave the best part of it. They said it needed to be Sugha to make it a little more hardcore.

So now, I've created this blog, a twitter account, a bunch of Last.fm playlists, and a facebook fan page. I'm all kinds of tech savy... I think. Mostly it just gives me an excuse to yammer on about music forever.

I'll put you all in a story by and by...

I finally signed up for Shelfari (www.shelfari.com/awdylanis) and have been obsessively digging through my bookshelves to fill out my read list. I happened across my battered copy of Eight Stories by Dylan Thomas and have not been able to get "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" out of my head. The way it's been bashing around up there, you'd think it was some top 40 pop song. I'm sharing it in hopes that it sparks in someone else head and leaves mine alone.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

When I was searching for the poem, I came across this site, which has a pretty awesome reading of the poem.

Normally, I prefer his short stories. He has this crazy way of describing things that twists my mind in all kinds of wonderful ways. It is amazing how a few bound pages with their familiar cover, type, and excessive highlighting can make my heart and head feel so full.

"We were both the same age: too young and too old."

"He wished that the light would fail. In the darkness he and Lou could creep
beneath the clothes and imitate the dead."

"There was a welcome, then. The clock struck twelve as she kissed me, and I stood among the shining and the striking like a prince taking off his disguise."

Oh, sigh.

RIP Michael Jackson

Even before my NKOTB obsession or the embarrassing time when the Jon Bon Jovi hung on my bedroom wall, I loved Michael Jackson. I wore my Michael Jackson tee-shirt and would listen to The Girl is Mine over and over again. At my parent's shows, vendors would play the Thriller on loop all day, and I could just sit and watch for hours. I remember begging my sisters to take me to watch it. It scared the hell out of me (I was like 3!), but I still loved it. So, with the sad news of his death today, I thought that I would post this photo (my prized Christmas present) and just say that in whatever happens at death, I hope that some peace and happiness find him.

Bead and Wire... Otherwise Known as What Has Been Consuming My Mind Lately

I have needed a creative outlet lately. All of my old favorites haven't been cutting it lately, so I took some classes at my local JoAnn's: knitting, cake decorating, and jewelry making.

My grandmother taught me how to crochet. I enjoyed it, so I thought that I would love knitting. The class was a nightmare. I haven't been that frustrated with anything in a long time, and the teacher was so over me. Stupid yarn. Stupid needles. I eventually figured out the basic stitch and worked on a scarf, but it just wasn't for me. Here's a photo of my first sad, sad attempt (looks worse when you can pick it up and watch it fall apart!):

Next, I tried cake decorating, which I thought was going to be perfect for me. I love and have a knack for baking cookies. However, I didn't love baking the cakes, and huge pots of icing sitting around my house for days was REALLY not a good idea. I ate more icing than made it onto the cake. So, to save myself from grotesque extra weight, I dropped out of the class. My first cake (coconut with chocolate pudding center and buttercream frosting) went over well, but after all a couple of nights of work, it was disheartening to see it disappear in about 10 minutes. Next.


Finally, I tried a basic jewelry making class. I learned to make a simple bracelet with beads, wire, and a crimp bead. Very simple, but nice. I was completely hooked. Within a month, I had taken classes for necklaces, dangle earrings, and woven beads. My bead stash has grown exponentially, and every other day I have a new idea that requires more learning and different techniques. I love wire jewelry now, but I'm sure it will be something else next week. It is so challenging and fun, but it also relieves stress. I have been teaching my friend Danielle what I’ve learned so far and we've been making different things on our lunch hour. Maybe one of these days I'll even try posting some stuff on Etsy: http://www.dylanisaw.etsy.com/. Anyway, here's a bracelet that I made last week:

It has been exciting to have some new challenges. The creative side of my brain was getting too weak I am happiest when challenged to create and learn new things. I still really want to take a kick boxing class, so watch out.

Ze Balcony Garden - Week 2

I've made it a week and haven't lost any of my plants. My biggest concern is how I can water them without flooding out my neighbors below. So far, mostly successful. I also added a few more plants:

• German Chamomile around the base of my sunflower (now sprouting)
• Tomato Sprouts (from not eating my produce timely)
• Loose Leaf Lettuce

Over the weekend, I noticed white flies on the catnip and something eating the leaves of my parsley. After a minor freak out, I did some research on fighting pests. I wanted to go organic, so I went with spraying a soapy mix on the plants. They plants look better and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Used the rosemary in my weekly soup (Rosemary Scented Lentils and Sausage) and made a caprese salad with the basil. Home grown, fresh herbs are the best way to go.

Here's a photo of the progress after 1 week:
After hearing stories of my neighbor's cat falling off the balcony, I refuse to let the cats out. I get a lot of impatient faces at the window:

Why I was hauling dirt up the stairs...

After a wonderful dream about my future, perfect house, I realized that I needed to learn how to garden. So, despite the fact that I only have a balcony, I went out and bought a bunch of containers, herbs, flowers, and vegetables.

I shopped at Lowe's and Home Depot for all the supplies. Overall, it was pretty inexpensive to start. This is what I currently have planted:

• Marigolds
• Italian Parsley
• Sweet Basil
• Catnip
• Cilantro
• Lavender
• Mint
• German Thyme
• Rosemary
• Sunflower

I'm planning on taking photos of everything at different times so I can see the progress. I am so excited and hoping that I don't kill everything. Here's a photo just after planting: