Road Music

Hello. I am going to catch up on the list of labels and entries to the Blog... I'll not make these too long...so here is an attempt.

I will list my favorite Road Tunes, not in any order but as Blake has mentioned by mood or desired effect of the tunes being played... I have some favorites so lets get them out first. Of course you should all know one of my favorites is Rush 2112. the first side of the "album" but now that it is on CD, the whole thing. Another Rush favorite is Farewell to Kings. Title song, Zanadu, Cygnus X-1. I have my other favorites, anything Pink Floyd, Alanis Morrisette, and Shania Twain. And after that, there are selected songs from a multitude of artist that I just love to "cruise" to. Tom Petty, AC/DC (Live "The Jack" from Let there be rock, Bon Scott version). The Coldplay X&Y was turned on to me driving home from Grannies for the last time with Della pulling a trailer in the Park Ave. (very heavy that trip, so many emotions, specifically the song Fix You. Della and I had a great "We Miss You Granny" cry together playing that one several times in a row. I still can feel the emotion of that tune and that section of road north of Tampa on I-95. Della and I had some great tunes experiences when we were first married in WI. Pete Townsend: White City, Dire Striats, ZZ Top, Greatfull Dead, Stevie Nicks,

One quick story, when I left Albert Lea to go live in Reno (pre mission) I was playing cassette tapes in the Blue Flame. I was playing them as they were in sequence in the "brief case" so, about midnight or later, I was in Wyoming getting really sleepy and Neil Young was playing and I cranked it for another hour or more. "Rust Never Sleeps", "Tonight's the Night". If you don't know that one, I highly recommend it. But that was one of those fun times just me and the Blue Flame out in the middle of no where! Thank you Heavenly Father for keeping me alive on all those road trips! Well, I am sure I am missing some, but that will have to do for now.

Road Music

As it turns out I am a couple posts behind once again! So for this time I am to write about what music I listen to in multiple situations. So to begin, on a daily basis I listen to a variety of music. In the car on the way to work I listen to rap/hip-hop. Lately though I've been listening to audiobooks on my way to and from work because I listen to the same books while I work. While I'm on the computer I really don't listen to music, I usually watch something on Netflix or Hulu. For a road trip, this past trip I did audiobooks again but usually Liberty and I just chat while we drive. When I just need some tunes, either iPod or what have you, I listen to Muse or Lady GaGa or Cake when I'm in a good mood, Rob Zombie when I'm in a more angsty state, and that's about it! Sorry my musical taste is limited, music was never really played in the house unless my mom was playing it on the piano. My siblings sometimes played the music they were interested in at the time which ranged from country to metal to rap. Other than that, my music is pretty limited, sorry my new family who is crazy about music!

M.C. Stumpy

Ketchup

SO here I am, starting off!!
After the local spot (which was more or less a joke.....the potty picture remember?) I'd really have to say that my favorite hang out spot was probably with ray and the boys. Always messing around, running around jersey having adventures, through thick and thin, when I burned my face, getting in and out of trouble with the authorities and our parents ha ha ha ha. So really any place where ray and the guys were that WAS my favorite place to hang out and chill. NOW it is of course with Indira. Even though we're far apart right now, it's been a growing experience for both of us and we're happy to report that we're both doing very well...
Chores? really? well hmmm, MEMORIES of chores would include the time we cleaned competitively in Utah for whatever it was we were competing for. I found out that I was the most thorough cleaner. (anybody else remember that?) I remember doing dishes in Tennessee washing silverware and bottles and stuff (Bottles!!!!) ha ha. In jersey probably the biggest chore that I can remember doing the most was mowing the lawn. At the first house when we had the tractor mower I always cut the grass super short (killing it >_<) so I wouldn't have to cut it for as long as possible. I remember the house now, trying to get all grass in the back back. trying to stay away from scary bugs and things. Vacuuming was probably the easiest for me, or cleaning the living room, everything had a place and then a good vacuum later would provide a nice clean floor to lay all over. Cleaning my room was probably the least favorite (how many hands agree with that? lol) so yea that's about it for chores.
Favorite music to drive to? This is pretty specific, and it's a relative question because it depends on what kind of mood you're in. If you're driving angry you want to listen to metallica or some other head-bangin stuff. If you're being contemplative or thoughtful maybe some coldplay. i liked U2's Joshua Tree the most. But i think that's more of a fantastical imagining from a movie or something, convertible driving in the desert with the wind in your hair and U2 blasting. I remember the trip Liberty Mom and I took to go visit granny for the last time. We listened to a lot of coldplay, that's when the new x and y album had just come out. See? The rest of this post could go different directions because I don't drive here in Korea. I walk or ride my bike everywhere. Music in general is tricky because it really depends on what you're doing. It can either influence you or maybe you're just looking to get some emotions out. I love breaking benjamin, they have a really solid sound. I also enjoy coldplay, jack johnson, john mayer, those acoustic sounds just for chilling. I wouldn't say my music tastes are very diverse at all. I usually stick to to or three genres. I have a sweet spot for good cover songs. If there's a cover song with a different feel but it feels great i love that kind of stuff. I also enjoy classical music to a hidden degree. ha ha ha, Bach's cellos suites are exquisite, there are numerous other pieces that I find particularly delectable. I think that my overall music tastes reflect my personality very much; mostly chill, a loud crazy fast bit, and a small refined dignified taste for the skill and ability of composing classical pieces. I do like new music, and by new I mean things that I haven't heard before, but I don't go out of my way to find new things that I like. that's not disappointing to me at all. just something that i personally don't actively pursue.
NOW
as far as prompts....
I know I have the 15th, but because we've been lacking in prompts for whatever reason I'll put down a couple... I don't know how to put them in the little box area so I'll just do it here.


Number 1: what is your most favorite/most vivid/ craziest memory of family road trips/driving experiences? (the more the better)

Number 2: Besides driving what is the most vivid/favorite/craziest memories you have of the family spending time together?

Number 3: What were your favorite tv shows? favorite cartoons? favorite sports? watching with the family? by yourself?

Number 3-b: What was your favorite movie to watch as a family?


I don't know how it'd work, but I think if we had something where we had a full conversation from movie quotes that it would be funny and a good time, heh heh just thinking about Julia's super epic quote mashup on fb.


I LOVE EVERYONE hope everything is going well, as soon as everyone posts from those prompts I'll do mine and then we can move on to the next prompt :)

I love my family
-Blakester

Road Music

Hey team!

Just a sidenote- Sorry I never post comments. I always feel happy and special when someone posts comments on mine so I'm sure you all feel the same- I'll try to be better at it.

Anyway, we're finally home from our massive-three-week-triangle-adventure-of-awesomeness! Our vlog didn't last at all. Hahaha. Nice try noobs. But we had a great time hanging out (and meeting!) Sumner family and friends from Brandon's days at BYU. It was fabulous. And surprisingly not as tedious driving as we thought. 80 hours on the road, 6 hotel nights, 3 flat wheelchair tires, almost two full audiobooks (plus bits of 3 others), and about 5,000 miles later we're home again home again. Sleeping in our own beds!! Woot!

So fresh off our road trip we should have a good idea about road tunes right? Well, we didn't listen to too much music... We listened to a lot of audiobooks, like I said, and Brandon loves listening to comedians on cd, so we did a lot of that. I think the most important feature of road tunes is that everyone enjoys it. Or at least you switch often enough (shuffle the ol ipod) that everyone can enjoy it. The Travel Song from Shrek the musical was my theme song (listen here- I was Donkey;Brandon, Shrek). Styx, Queen, Lady Gaga also popular choices, but we did a fair share of just chatting too. :] Good to get in some decent conversation.

So dad tells me I should post some pictures up.... but it's late and I should be in bed. Sorry!

Plus my camera I think is in the van and I'm already in pjs. Soon enough, my friends!! Soon enough!!

Love you all,

Keep writing.

Liberty

Tunes

This is an awesome topic Julia: Cartoons. I was always such an audiophile, albeit a broke one, that music played a HUGE role in my life. I started making mix-tapes to take to youth conferences. They never heard of such a thing back then. BACK THEN - a mix tape was a time-consuming event involving tedious recording of cuts from your favorite records and even borrowing records from friends. Now, all you gotta do is push Ipod shuffle, no work at all. What first attracts my attention, is a pronounced funky. U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince and TOOL has this. What I love is something that jams forever and does not end after 3 minutes. LOTS of my music does this. Neil Young, The Cure, Dave Matthews. I love voices with interesting textures and inflections like k.d. lang, Roger Waters, Alanis Morisette, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed and Matisyahu. I love bands/musicians that don't take themselves too darn seriously like Queen, ACDC, the Beastie Boys, Eminem, EnVogue. I love music that I can get my anger out with like Guns N Roses, Nickelback, Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine. I love music that uplifts me like Handels Messiah, bassoon sonata by Mozart, cello concertos and Beethoven. I love guitar music like Dire Straits, Pat Metheney and Santana. I love music. I love music. I love music. It saved my life many a time. It soothed my savage beasties more times than I can count. I have lost myself in the pounding throb of the Chemical Brothers and found myself weeping as the Tabernacle Choir sang O Divine Redeemer (MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PIECE BY THEM). Toons. Gotta have them. Can't life without them. *My apologies for all the music I have missed and forgotten to put in here.

Blog Face

Julia Here.
Despite Liberty being in Provo for the past week, I still managed to forget to ask her how to make an "identity" or author thingy or however you call it. im a dingus
1) favorite chore--uh, I was the only sumner child that inherited the "sumner" cleaning gene (and liberty knows what that is now after seeing uncle wayne in action!) So I like to clean everything. I'm down with brandon on the dishes. Waiting for a big pile--that's my way. Until them, let 'em soak right! I am a custodian for my job, so obviously, I must be doing something right in the cleaning area.
2) favorite road music. (by the way, this was my 'writing prompt' and I couldnt think of anything better, sorry you have to answer a lame question--or dont answer at all!) Something about Red Hot Chili Peppers just makes me want to drive across california or something. Also Neil Young, Broadway sing-a-long stuff (me and Keato did Les Mis on the way to Ogden!) and of course Shaggy!!! I am missing the cd! maybe I left it in Jersey! :(

The sumner family reunion was a blast! We got some old slides of dad lookin just like keaton (big nose and all) and I heard some stories about dad hahaha! It was fun to hang out with the family, and I really wish we all could have been there together! I cried watching the video of grandpa bearing his testimony (aww, I'm lame) and I'm blessed with such a great family and we can be together forever! (dont cry!)

Not much else happening in Provo. I started 'shadowing' for athletic training at UVU. I'm pro at making ice bags haha. Cousin Kim comes home from France tomorrow! uh oh, time to overhaul and clean the house!
I can't think of anything else to write, and technically I'm on the clock right now at work (hehehe....watch out for the boss!)
-Sending out some Utah love! -J