Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Skog Family Week In Review
The Lil' Rockstar is growing up right before our eyes. The crazy thing is that even though she was our smallest baby she is probably bigger than the other girls at this point of her life (4 months). She has grown out of her 0-3 month clothes and here is video proof that she is ready to rock and roll(over).
Toots Needs An Intervention
Toots loves her 'ginkies' and comes from a long line of binkie addicts. I can't even remember what it took to finally break P of her binkie habit and her cousin Madzy Padzy used to hide behind the couch and take 'drags' off of her little brother's binkie when she was six. Toots carries two or three ginkies around at a time and it has gotten to the point where one is not enough. This Saturday she thinks she will be watching fireworks but in reality we have an intervention scheduled. We have to break this habit before her life spirals out of control.
KG'S KRUSTY KRAB
P has been a fan of Spongebob since before she was probably old enough to be watching it. Before you judge us, remember that mothers that have to work from home will let their kids watch anything that will hold their attention for one hour as long as it won't cause too much long term damage. My earliest TV memories are Tom and Jerry and Popeye and if you've watched them recently you will see that they are violent enough to make Itchy and Scratchy look tame in comparison. I turned out okay (I suppose) and I think I only punched one person in my life (my best friend in 4th grade, sorry Richie) even though my young mind was twisted by the violent acts of the cat and little mouse and the spinach eating sailor. Really it's a good thing I didn't punch anybody else because my delicate hands would not be able to type 70 words per min and my blogs would be posted with much less regularity. Perhaps not the best example but I digress.
As a fan of Spongebob, P has also been a fan of Krabby Patties. Here is a clip from The Pre-Skog Blog archives of a young P working the grill and making her Grillmaster father very proud.
To this day I'm quite certain that she thinks hamburgers are called Krabby Patties and if we were to walk into any fine burger establishment she would think we were at the Krusty Krab. Loyal Skog Blog readers will also recall that P is notoriously picky when it comes to food and to this date she had never actually tried eating a Krabby Patty. Imagine my surprise as I brought in my tasty burgers and P said, "I am going to eat one of those today, Dad." And she did. Kind of. She took a few bites. Baby steps.
WHY DOES KG LOOK SO AWFUL?
Some of the adjectives/phrases used to describe KG and Wheels lately: tired, haggard and tough to win over. On Friday night as I sat on my old man's couch he said, "You look terrible. You look like you just finished busy season." My old man is a CPA and 'busy season' is Feb - April 15th were he works crazy hours and gets 3-4 hours of sleep per night. It's rough but a small price to pay for the ability to then golf 4 times a week during the summer. I have made jokes about how fun the nights are at the Skog Home but I decided to break it down, John Madden style this week.
Every night at some point we end up with at least 4 of us in our bed. Once or twice a week we end up with all 5 of us. Here is the problem, our bed is a queen. Not a king, be it a regular or California, just a queen. 60 inches wide. Checkout the picture below. The girls look comfy, right? Do not be distracted by the adorable girls, however, because something is missing.
Where is KG? Answer - he's not there. Now checkout this math:
As I previously stated, the width of our mattress is 60 inches. From shoulder to shoulder I am 20 inches wide, Wheels is 17.5, P is 10, Toots is 8 and Josie is 7. Add that up and it's 62.5 inches. Not included in that figure is P's blankie that is 39 inches and absolutely can not touch Toots, who prefers to sleep without covers and goes bonkers when any form of blanket brushes her. Another variable is Toots' baby that has a tiny wingspan of 4 inches but occasionally ends up sleeping under Toots or on her head.
I measured and the space usually given for my 20 inch wide frame is 11.4 inches.
Which means several inches of my butt/backside are usually left to hover off the edge of the bed.
Other measurements that might amuse and/or give cause for sympathy are - distance from top of KG's head to his, uh, 'midsection' or 'bathing suit area' is 33 inches. Toots' height from top of head to toe is 30 inches. I will let you do the math there, let's just say I am rudely awakened more than once on any given night. Also, I am starting to wonder if I had a steel plate inserted in my head as a child before I was old enough to remember because the heads of P and Toots are both drawn to my pillow and face like magnets to an old steel file cabinet. Good times. The only thing that keeps Wheels and I from opening the door in our room, jumping from the deck and running into the night screaming is the fact that they are adorable and we are lucky to have them.
Cover Song Saturday Night - MJ Edition
David Mead - Human Nature
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave) - Billie Jean - This is the version that David Cook made famous on American Idol.
James Morrison - Man In the Mirror
Jason Mraz and Nikki (Dutch Idol winner) - Billie Jean
Friday, June 26, 2009
News and Whimsy
Checkout this incredible trick shot by a middle school kid. Your move, Lebron.
The official music critic of The Skog Blog, Paul Shirley, has spoken and perhaps I need to reevaluate my life and one of my most hated bands.
RIP - MJ.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday Night Playlist
SONGS FOR SUNSHINE
Doves - Catch the Sun - If I ever attempt to create an all time top 10 list of songs, this would probably make the cut.
John Denver - Sunshine On My Shoulder - too easy of a selection? Perhaps, but this song would melt Jack Frost.
Matt Costa - Sunshine - Friend of Jack Johnson and favorite of our friend Little Rob aka Willow who needs to make a triumphant return to the Skog Blog. We miss you Little Rob.
Len - Steal My Sunshine - 98% of Skog Blog readers will hate this song but I always found it to be a catchy little summer tune.
Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine - Always reminds me of Jack Black in High Fidelity, the film that really unleashed him on the world. KG, for one, is grateful.
Aqualung - Brighter Than Sunshine - Matt Hales is a poor man's Chris Martin or Thom Yorke. This is a fantastic song.
Anne Murray - You Are My Sunshine - Here's a song to hum or sing at 3AM to remind yourself that maybe your kids aren't that bad.
Elbow - Ribcage - Ribcage? That isn't sunshine? Just listen to the song. This is my list and I love me some Elbow.
New Music Monday Night
Gregory Alan Isakov - This Empty Northern Hemisphere
Gregory Alan Isakov is another new addition to the KG musical rotation. I had never heard of this man and downloaded this album after reading a sparkling review of it. I'll drop a few tidbits that will make at least of few readers interested - born in South Africa, raised in Philly (Brohammas) and now calls Boulder, CO his home. Is a good friend of Brandi Carlile (Mindy/Corbie), in fact she duets with him on a few songs on Hemisphere. He is the standard folk/rock, singer/songwriter type that you have come to expect from KG but check him out, he is very solid.
Pete Yorn - Back and Fourth
In case you missed my ode to Pete Yorn from a few months back you can read it here. He returns this week with his fourth album and it gets him right back to where he was with his debut release. He had slipped a little on his second and third albums but hits all of the right notes on Back and Fourth. Not a bad track found on this CD. If you are a fan you won't be disappointed and if you weren't a fan you should be after you give it a listen.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Skog Family Week In Review
Wheels took the girls to a nearby park that was perfect. For Goldilocks, the playground was just right and there was even water for Little Bear.
TOOTS' NEW MOVIE!
We are extremely excited to announce that Toots has a new movie coming out this Summer. You can checkout the trailer here.
P GOES TO MADZY PADZY'S BEAUTY SALON
P decided to change up her look this week so she took a trip over to our neice's salon and had Madsie Padsie give her a makeover. Unfortunately the braids only lasted two days before they were completely frizzed out but P enjoyed them while they lasted. The real miracle was that she sat still for 2 hours while the work was done. Kudos to you, Madsie.
KG'S SNOWASIS
A few weeks ago we were down in the Big City and headed up to the Dan's parking lot to partake in the greatest summer tradition of all time - The Snowasis. Sadly the snowasis was no longer there. Snowasis wasn't just any old Tropical Sno or Snow Shack, it was the first place to my knowledge that added cream into the mix. Who would have thought that adding cream to a snowcone would be so tasty? We headed home and decided to breakout our snowcone maker that was barely a step up from the Snoopy Snowcone Machine but the girls enjoyed them just the same. I apologize for the redundant videos, the second one was placed there for one reason - to pay tribute to arguably the greatest beard I had ever grown. Sadly, on Friday morn while attempting to trim it I made some terrible judgements with my new beard trimmer and had to take it all off. I will not forget you, Mr. Beard.
THE P WITCH PROJECT
While reviewing the contents of the camera for this week's review, I stumbled upon this footage, again shot by our amateur extraordinaire, P. It looks like something out of a popular horror film of the past decade. Be afraid, Skog Blog Readers.
FATHER'S DAY MIRACLE
Father's Day was very pleasant and mellow. The real miracle though was that we took the entire Skog Clan to church (20 min late, back off) and that we lasted the entire block (minus 20 min). Not too shabby.
KG WINS THE SOUTH VALLEY SUSHI EATING CONTEST
Some of you Skog Blog readers might recall some talks of a Sushi Fest awhile back. Corbie, Spammon, Flanksteak and others had collectively thrown down a guantlet to see who could eat the most sushi. Saturday Night the competition finally arrived. Wheels and KG, Corbie and Robert, Spammon and Lindsey, Hagoth and Angela, Josh and Kristy and Brent and Nicole were the participants. Noticeably absent - Flanksteak, who claimed that he didn't want to pollute his stomach with such low quality sushi. Luckily the event was filmed and here is the footage. I'm not sure if my mother should be sickened or proud. Bottom line is KG really likes sushi.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Cover Song Saturday Night - Updated!
Happy Father's Day, Big J.
Probably the greatest singer of all time performing Stardust. Once I made Big J an entire CD with as many versions of this song that I could find. Nat's is still the best.
Last but not least, Kim's birthday is on Sunday as well. The Big 35 (am I not supposed to say that?) Kim often gets the shaft because her birthday falls on Father's Day frequently, however she won't get the shaft on The Skog Blog. Here are a couple of songs that I think she might dig. Happy Bday, my friend.
And for the grand finale, quite possibly the greatest clip I've ever found on youtube. High comedy.
I thought this next clip was pretty well known but after talking with Kim and Wheels, I realized they had never seen it. Here is William Shatner's rendition of Rocket Man. I'll give this the nod over Telly as number all time greatest youtube clip. Telly you are number 2. Sorry.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
News and Whimsy
Interesting idea to try and help music sales. I kind of like it.
I wouldn't change anything about my wedding except for maybe this and actually I think Wheels would be cool with it.
Disney is filming a new movie in Southern Utah and if your wife is a fan of the TV Show Friday Night Lights you better keep a close watch on her. I'm pretty sure that Wheels and some of my neighbors might be going on a road trip soon.
I just saw this on the SL Trib's Pop Culture Blog (which is quite good, check it out daily). It's the perfect gift for Father's Day if your Father attended Woodstock.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday Night Playlist
BILLBOARD'S TOP 20 SINGLES OF 1989
20. Two Hearts - Phil Collins - say what you want about Phil Collins but his songs are always cheesy balls of goodness.
19. On Our Own - Bobby Brown - man I loved me some Bobby Brown.
18. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals - still not a bad little song.
17. The Look - Roxette - It must have been love, but it's over now. At least I once had feelings for this Swedish band unlike Ace of Base.
16. Girl I'm Gonna Miss You - Milli Vanilli - anybody who claims to hate Milli Vanilli is a bigger liar than they were.
15. Heavan - Warrant - the prowess of this song was already discussed in my Valentine's Day Mixtape. Not bad.
14. Don't Wanna Lose You - Gloria Estefan - I think Kim had to sing this song with similar hair in a terrible singing group in which we participated or as I refer to them, "KG's Darkest Days."
13. Lost In Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson - In 7th grade a girl dedicated this song to me on the radio. I might be fat and hairy now but no one can take away my dreamy eyes.
12. Waiting For A Star To Fall - Boy Meets Girl - not your finest hour, Class of 89.
11. Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx - Speaking of requests and dedications, Kim back me up here, I swear we heard this song on the radio the night before Utah Fun went into the MTC and the DJ said, "This is for Mike from Jen." Good stuff.
10. Giving You The Best That I Got - Anita Baker - I would have thought that Anita could have done better than The Donahue Show.
09. Baby, I Love Your Way- Will To Power - Another not so shining moment.
08. Girl You Know Its True - Milli Vanilli - Girl and Boy you know it's true, stop lying to yourself, you like MV.
07. Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler - I remember back in the day when I could hit those high notes. I wish I were joking.
06. Cold Hearted - Paula Abdul - When I finished this video for the first time I think my voice was an octave lower.
05. Miss You Much - Janet Jackson - For all of those kids at home who had never heard of her, yes this is the girl who ruined the Super Bowl a few years ago.
04. Straight Up - Paula Abdul - The days when she was crazy hot and not just crazy.
03. Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison - Back when Bret Michaels didn't need a VH1 show to pickup skanks.
02. My Prerogative - Bobby Brown - I just decided his nickname should have been 'The Hit Machine' - he was good when he wasn't all coked up.
01. Look Away - Chicago - I love Chicago as much or more than the next guy but is anyone else shocked this was the #1 song of the year? I thought only Utahns went bonkers over our friends from the windy city.
Oldies But Goodies
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
I finally started listening to Nick Drake several years ago after reading for the 100th time an article comparing Mr. Drake to Elliott Smith. Seeing that Mr. Smith was near the top of my all time favorite list I figured I owed it to myself to pickup a Nick Drake album. I started with a greatest hits cd and immediately loved it and soon after purchased a box set that included all of his studio releases. All of his albums are fantastic, however it is Pink Moon that is always in my rotation no matter what. The main thing I love about this album is that it adapts to whatever mood that I find myself - sad, hopeful, mellow - it can be whatever you want it to be. Enjoy this album, I hope it treats you as right as it treats me.
Monday, June 15, 2009
New Music Monday Night
Eels - Hombre Lobo
Eels returned on June 2 with one of my most anticipated albums of the year. The good news is that our friend 'E' from the Eels is in fine form and this is right up there with his best work.
For those of you unfamiliar with Eels, they are the brainchild of Mark Oliver Everett, a musical genius simply known as 'E'. Even if you think you haven't heard them before, odds are you have. His songs have been in several movies, including all three Shrek films which I assume any parent has seen multiple times.
Hombre Lobo is the band's seventh studio album and is a concept album of sorts. As you see under the title '12 Songs of Desire', these are songs written from the perspective of a Werewolf or perhaps the Dogface Boy, a character from a previous Eels album and the namesake to our beloved (?) but MIA Skog Blog commenter - Dogface.
You may or may not enjoy this album but one thing I know for certain is that when it comes to Werewolf love it's more realistic than Twilight.
The Moore Brothers - Aptos
I stumbled upon The Moore Brothers and downloaded them on a whim. I'm glad I did. It was as if I had found an old record of Big J's from the 1970's. From the looks of the cover art you would assume that it was an old Grateful Dead LP, however, Aptos would fit right in with a classic Simon and Garfunkel album or any other great singer/songwriter folk/rock singers from the 60's and 70's. Apparently this is the fifth release from The Bros Moore and I will be tracking down their other recordings. If they are even half as good as Aptos then I will be very pleased and have a few more Oldies But Goodies to share.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Cover Song Saturday Night
Tonight there won't be any covers. Instead I wanted to post a few songs that I know were enjoyed by my friend, Craig. Everytime he picked me up to go play tennis he was rocking Kenny Loggins. These songs are for him.
I'm Alright - Whenever this song came on I was quizzed with the question - 'What movie is this song from?'
Danny's Song
Whenever I Call You Friend
Thursday, June 11, 2009
News and Whimsy
One of the most popular Music and Arts Festival in the US starts today. If you are like me and didn't get your ticket to TN booked then checkout live performances online at Bonnaroo. Gomez is playing this morning and Sunday has Ben Harper, Raphael Saadiq and others.
You know those stupid taglines that networks have? What if they told the truth? TV Network Taglines.
I have not been able to watch much of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon but I wanted to recognize some important work that he has been doing. Please sign this Petition and then watch THIS.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday Night Playlist
SONGS WITH 'RAIN' IN THE TITLE BUT NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT RAIN
R.E.M - So. Central Rain - this clip claims to be from their first ever TV appearance on David Letterman. I don't know whether the claims are valid but it is nice to see the band in their earlier, skinny days with more hair.
R.E.M. - Have You Ever Seen the Rain - One more from the boys from Athens, covering a Creedence Clearwater Revival classic.
Ben Folds Five - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - No, it's not Cover Song Saturday Night but here is my favorite band performing at a tribute concert that showcased Burt Bacharach's best work.
The Carpenters - Rainy Days and Mondays - No brainer. Yesterday I shared a few of my favorite female voices but the late great Ms. Carpenter is the all time best. Not up for debate on The Skog Blog, sorry.
Bishop Allen - Rain - Skog Blog fave returns with an acoustic street performance by lead singer Justin Rice.
Mana - No Ha Parado de Llover - Not sure how many Skog Blog readers speak Spanish but I do know that naked Mexicans in a wannabe artsy video are indeed an International language. Also, if you had Bosko for Spanish you should know that 'llover' means 'to rain.' If you had Mr. Morris for Spanish then you wouldn't know that but you would know every word to La Bamba and Senor Sol.
Blind Melon - No Rain - Blind Melon opened for GnR at my first concert ever. Blind Melon was terrible live and I never gave them another thought until this song became an MTV hit and after listening to the album I realized that they actually have some great songs.
Counting Crows - Rain King - Taken from their performance on VH1 Storytellers, this is my favorite version of this song.
Here are two bonus songs not on my list but would be on the playlist of Flanksteak and the MIA Dogface.
New Music Monday and Oldies But Goodies
A Camp - Colonia
You might recognize the sweet face on the cover of this album. Think about it... I'll wait. We have all day. The correct answer is Nina Persson, the lovely and talented lead singer of Skog Blog favorite, The Cardigans. Most of you will recall that I am a big fan of all things Swedish Pop as long as it doesn't involve Ace of Base so it should not surprise you that I have taken a liking to this side project of Ms. Persson.
A Camp has a bit of a different sound than The Cardigans. More of a 60's girl group with a hint of twang. This is probably the closest thing to 'country and western' that will ever be acclaimed on this here blog. Sadly, the band was in town on Monday night but because of fevers, pink eye and other fun things brought to us by life, I was unable to attend. Hopefully this post will make some amends and allow us all to heal.
Hem - Rabbit Songs
Speaking of borderline country, Hem is an indie/folk band that deserves to be on the top of the charts, whether it be country, pop, adult contemporary or heavy metal - they are a band that should be heard. I first stumbled upon them when I downloaded their single, Sailor, and immediately fell in love with the voice of lead singer, Sally Ellyson. It is unique and not polished but is one that you'll want to hear repeatedly. Other standout songs from this album are Stupid Mouth Shut and Lazy Eye, although you should really give the entire album a spin and then spread the word of the Gospel of Hem.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Skog Family Week In Review
HAFB 2009 OPEN HOUSE AND AIRSHOW
The only show normally at the Skog House is The Gun Show, which occurs daily. Wheels is a lucky woman. Well on Saturday we decided to throw caution to the wind and checkout another kind of show, the Hill Air Force Base Open House and Airshow. Our group consisted of The Skog Fam, my parents Big J and Grammie Sue, the Bell children (except Henry who has an irrational fear of loud noises, dogs, and airplanes), my sister Kristine and her family, the Skousens (minus Jen) and Mike's father and bro-in-law. I learned many things because Mike's Dad is retired Air Force and was able to tell a story about each plane that was flying as well as the 'birds' (I picked up the lingo as well) that were being exhibited. Another thing I learned was that the airshow was probably similar to a NASCAR event - things went fast, lots of noise and an inordinate amount of people were wearing tanktops that maybe should have put some sleeves on. Enjoy this lovely slideshow.
A PLAGUE FALLS UPON THE SKOG HOME
Thursday Night Toots actually slept the whole night in her bed. I know, exciting news. However, after a rough Friday night and being outside at the airshow, Toots and the Lil' Rockstar came down with fevers and spent Saturday Night and Sunday in their jammies trying to smother and infect Wheels. So far so good for Wheels - I do realize that I just jinxed her. Sunday night did not go as well. We tried to force feed Toots some Motrin chewables and she proceeded to gag and then vomit all over Wheels and myself. I suppose we deserved it.
PICS BY P
So it's Sunday, everyone is sick and lazy. You are four years old - what should you do? Grab the camera and start taking random pictures of everything. Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to unleash a slideshow of the greatest up and coming photographer in the Western USA. No worries either, I included EVERY single picture she took. By the way, there is one controversial picture of KG included and I am SCRATCHING! Also be on the lookout for a hilarious pic of Toots that made Wheels and I laugh extremely hard this evening while exporting the pictures from our camera.
TOOTS MOVES INTO P'S ROOM - TAKE 2
You might remember earlier that we moved a 'big girl bed' into P's room hoping that Toots would make the transition from the crib and we could start putting Lil' J in the crib, who has been sleeping in our bed in order to more easily provide her a nightly snack from Wheels. This did not go well. In fact the photos from that week in review are possibly the only evidence of her ever being in that bed. This week we decided that although Toots is a gifted child we might have acclerated her too quickly and brought up P's old toddler bed. We'll see how this one goes. P is itching for a roommate (we'll see how long that lasts) and Wheels and I are itching for a good night's sleep.
Late breaking news - in a shocking turn of events, Toots did NOT sleep in her bed as promised.
THE NEW NBA LIVE CHAMPION
My boy, Flanksteak, is 7 years younger than me. When he was 5 or 6 I used to 'let' him win as we played various Nintendo sporting games such as Double Dribble, Tecmo Bowl or R.B.I. Baseball. As the systems and controllers got more and more complex (Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Playstation) my old, weak mind was unable to keep up and soon Flanksteak was wiping the floor with KG. Thursday night that all changed. Thanks to the magic of the xbox 360 and online play, I was able to defeat Flanksteak 2 out of 3 and recapture my glory that had not been obtained for many years. I won the first game easily and then Flanksteak returned a more severe beatdown on the rematch. It setup an intense finale and with his renewed confidence Flanksteak demanded we play a NBA Finals matchup and I could be the Lakers cause he'd, "beat me anyway." Well folks, not on Thursday. That night belonged to KG. I may or may not have had to shoot every single time with Kobe (I wanted it to be a realistic game, don't judge me) but victory was mine. Whether or not Flanksteak 'let' me win is debatable but we'll never know because I am going to take this opportunity to announce my retirement. That's right, I'm going out on top. I'd like to thank Wheels for letting me play, Lil' J for cheering me on and Vitamin Water for their tasty low calorie orange beverage. I couldn't have done it without any of you!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Cover Song Saturday Night
Friday, June 5, 2009
News and Whimsy
Don't forget that today is National Donut Day. I wish it were Winchell's but a free Krispy Kreme will have to do.
Other freebies - tomorrow is 'Free Fish Day' in Utah so celebrate with a free tasty fish taco from Rubios.
WHIMSY
Even though Pixar movies are usually quite good, even for adults, here is a list of things to keep parents busy while watching Up! if you are bored by cartoons.
In honor of Will Ferrell's new movie that comes out today, here is a list of his top 25 characters.
And finally, a youtube clip that I promise does not involve a redheaded singer or a keyboard playing cat. It was submitted by Vanwarmer and made Wheels and I laugh.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Wednesday Night Playlist
Perhaps the crown jewel of their downloading projects was when they decided to compile as many of the Billboard Top 100 Singles of each year. This unbelievable undertaking gave birth to more than 50 years worth of singles. The reason I love these Billboard collections is not neccesarily because I love the songs. As you will soon find out they don't exactly hold up, but it's fun to say, "what songs were popular when I was in 6th grade" and then breakout Billboard's Top 100 of 1988. These lists are also very handy on roadtrips as timekillers, conversation starters and the cause of much laughter.
Because it is the last week of school and it has been 15 years since I graduated high school, here are the top 15 from Billboard's 1994 Top 100 Singles. Is it any wonder after rehashing these 'classics' that I became the extreme music snob that I am today? Be ashamed fellow graduates of 1994, be very ashamed...
BILLBOARD'S TOP 15 SINGLES FROM 1994
15 John Mellencamp & MeShell NdegeOcello - Wild Night
14 Salt n Pepa/En Vogue - Whatta Man
13 Madonna - I'll Remember
12 Janet Jackson - Again
11 R Kelly - Bump n Grind
10 Ace of Base - Don't Turn Around
9 Ace of Base - All That She Wants
8 Bryan Adams, Sting & Rod Stewart - All For Love
7 Toni Braxton - Breathe Again
6 Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories - Stay
5 Mariah Carey - Hero
4 Celine Dion - The Power of Love
3 Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You
2 All-4-One - I Swear
1 Ace of Base - The Sign
Apparently we really had a thing for over produced love ballads and terrible Swedish Pop. Not exactly a muderer's row of classics. I'm not too smug to admit that I enjoyed many of these songs back in my day but how badly have these held up? Did we really need three Ace of Base songs in the Top 10? Good grief.
If you are interested in seeing how the popular music of your generation has held up, click here for a handy list that goes back to 1946.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Oldies But Goodies
R.E.M. - Driver 8
Blues Traveler - But Anyway
Alice in Chains - No Excuses (unplugged)
Billy Squier - Everybody Wants You
The Doors - Love Street
Zombies - She's Not There
The Cranberries - Dreaming My Dreams
Ram Jam - Black Betty
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Skog Family Week In Review
THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN?
Who would have thought from the looks of this picture that this guy would end up being one of the coolest men on the planet? My friends, you are looking at the Senior portrait of our friend Vanwarmer. I had the opportunity to attend a surprise 40th birthday party thrown for him by his sweet wife, Mrs. Vanwarmer. The above photo was blown up poster size and will be for sale at the next Skog Blog Meet n Greet. The beauty of him turning 40 is that it gives us even more ammunition for roadtrips, concerts, etc... 'Well it IS for his 40th birthday, Wheels, we are just trying to make it special...' Thanks for all of the great times and memories. Here's to 40 more, Mr. Vanwarmer.
THE LITTLE ROCKSTAR GOES TO CHURCH
On Sunday, Lil' J got dolled up in her finest, whitest dress and decided it was time to shed her Heathen lifestyle and go to church. Luckily for the world she isn't quiting the band or anything, she is just trying to be a good person.
All joking aside, I had the opportunity to take the Lil' Rockstar and give her a name and a blessing. The name may or may not have been 'The Lil Skog Rockstar,' you can figure that one out yourself, but it was a nice experience. I always love passing along a few minor nuggets of wisdom that the man upstairs would want me to share with my sweet girls.
Afterwards, we gathered at a park with our family for the requisite sandwiches on rolls, salads, etc. I appreciate every one's willingness to help and support The Skog Family. We are lucky and blessed to be members of The Skog and Wheels families. Below are a few snapshots from the day, including the debut of the lovely Mrs. Flanksteak holding Lil' J at the park. Her name is Erin and she doesn't enjoy being called 'Mrs. Flanksteak' so hence forth and forever that name shall be retired. Amen and Amen.