And so it begins once more

And so...

Two breakups.  One out of necessity, one out of stupidity.  A nasty falling out with my best friend.  The death of my grandfather.  The loss and gaining of new friends.  It's these things that pretty much summed up my 2010.  It seems like I have bad years every three years.  In 2007 my wife left me for someone she had already been seeing a couple of months prior.  2004 was when my clinical depression was officially diagnosed.  2001 was when 9/11 happened and I was deployed for seven months.  Here's hoping that 2011 turns things around for me.  Normally it would be these things and more that have done the best of us in.  Me, on the other hand?  I'm still standing.  I'm still around.  I'm a survivor.  And nothing will ever change that again.

Recently I have been wrestling with the idea of maybe leaving Florida, and moving to Ohio for good, within the next couple of years.  Don't get me wrong, Florida's been really good to me, but I have to face facts at this point.  There's nothing...no one...keeping me here.  I had one final tie here, and that went away in late October.  I've voiced my displeasure about things here, and how I perceive myself to be viewed upon by friends, and people who I thought were my friends.  On one hand, I have somebody to tell me to just "stop bitching" in a pretty blunt and brutal way.  Aaaaaaaaand that only served as a reminder as to why I hadn't talked to that person in over a year.  Thanks, precious, I appreciate it.  On the flipside though, I've had a few people to tell me to stop beating myself up, and to stop doubting myself because they "fucking love" me.  It's things like that I appreciate, and it's things like that that make me reconsider things a little.  Would I still wanna move to my homestate within a couple of years?  Hell yes I would, but it would be for more noble reasons than me thinking I'm nothing more down here than a walking, talking, "Don't Be THAT Guy" ad.  Thanks everyone.  I love you guys too.

It seems like trips to Wing House for WWE pay per view night every month, as well as monthly trips to Universal for TNA are looking to be regular things now.  Every time my friends and I go it's always a great time.  The end of this month will be no different, as we head over to the Wing House for WWE's Royal Rumble pay per view.  The Royal Rumble has always been my favorite wrestling show of the year.  It's pretty much pro wrestling's equivalent of an All Star Game.  This year, instead of 30 wrestlers fighting it out in the main event, it's gonna be 40.  Chances are that night, I am gonna end up eating a shit load of food, getting quite drunk, and my voice will likely be gone.  Yep, it's gonna be a fun one to be sure lol.


2nd Chance CD of the Week
Rush
Icon (2010)

Tracklist

Working Man
Fly By Night
The Necromancer
The Twilight Zone
Closer to the Heart
Circumstances
Freewill
Limelight
The Analog Kid
Red Sector A
Marathon
Force Ten


Icon is a series of greatest hits albums started up by Universal Music.  Musicians that have already gotten the Icon treatment include Hoobastank, KISS, and Nirvana, among others.  Next on the list is one of my all time favorites, Rush.  I know that Rush is a band that I have already written so much about, but once I picked this CD up (for a cheap $7.00, no less) I had to include it here, as my first blog of 2011.  This compilation includes one song from each of their first twelve albums, released under the band's time with Mercury records.  The tracks span from their self-titled debut in 1974, all the way up to Hold Your Fire from 1987.  It's not a perfect compilation, by any means, but the music that IS included on this disc is still quite good, and in my opinion, the perfect way to introduce Rush's early years to any new fan.  The only real, bonafide hit included on this CD would have to be "Limelight" from their 1981 classic Moving Pictures.  I have some personal favorites that are on here as well, such as "Force Ten," a karaoke Killer favorite in "Closer to the Heart," and the twelve minute epic "The Necromancer."  Now, "The Necromancer" I only heard the first time about a year ago, when I saw a video of Dream Theater covering it live.  Hearing the original version on the Icon album, I have to say they pretty much stayed faithful to the song by the very note.  I was quite impressed.  Besides that, knowing that I'm really digging the whole progressive rock/metal scene these days, it's not really surprising.  Like I said this CD is NOT a perfect compilation.  You won't hear "Tom Sawyer."  There's no "2112."  No "Subdivisions" and no "Between the Wheels."  But like I said, what they DID decided to put here is still quite impressive.  I recommend picking this one up.

Thumbs up.