Titles are overrated.

Did you wake up this morning, put on your pants and say, "I'm going to find out what Aubrey's favorite band is today"?
If you did, I congratulate you. If you didn't, SURPRISE!
If there's one thing I am, it might be indecisive. (Or insane...that one's up there.) When it comes down to it, I can make decisions. I can analyze the pros and cons, just like anybody else. But when it comes to music, I seem to love it all (except a few currently popular artists that I won't mention in case my blog gets really famous someday and they happen to read it). So how is it I can decide on a favorite band when I can't even choose a pair of socks in the morning? The fact is, no other band measures up (in my opinion). For me personally, the Eagles are the only band worthy of being my "favorite."
If you are confused, shocked, surprised, astounded, flabbergasted, perplexed, stupefied, startled, dumbfounded, disconcerted, bewildered, agog, agast, alarmed, startled, stunned, taken aback, astonished, astounded, or stupefied, allow me to explain myself. (And let me add, why is it that some words have so many wonderful synonyms, while others have none?)
It's often difficult to explain why you like something. Sometimes, you just like it. But I'll do the best I can. And now, 10 reasons I love the Eagles, in the form of my top ten favorite Eagles songs (and let me tell you, it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down). And remember, these are in no particular order.

1. "New Kid in Town"
Ever since I was the "new kid", as in, since birth, I've been singing these melodies. These guitar solos and bass lines are as much a part of me as mom's cooking and dad's words of wisdom. In fact, my parents went to one of their concerts the same year I was born. This music accompanies memories from pretty much every stage of my life.

2. "Take it Easy"

Something I've observed about this band: anything between rock and country and the far ends of each can be found on the vinyl of their 1970's albums. But all of their songs help me to "take it easy" in some way or another. Whether I'm on a boat at Lake Powell or laying on my bedroom floor sorting through papers, their easy-going stuff is there, filling the empty space with music.

3. "Heartache Tonight"


I want their talent. My heart aches for it (ha. ha.). Don Henley, the main man, the one who's been there since the beginning (along with Glenn Frey), is so multi-talented I can't even stand it. When he's not singing (and usually when he is, too), he's playing the guitar. And when the guitar's already covered, he's playing the piano. And when there's no piano part...you get the point.

4. "Already Gone"

It's 1976. You walk into a record store. "I'd like to buy the new Eagles album, please," you say. The store clerk nods, he's heard this a million times already today. "Sorry, they're already gone."

From Wikipedia: "With five number one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s...They also have the best selling album in the U.S. with Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975), which sold approximately 42 million copies worldwide. They have sold over 120 million albums worldwide and 100 million in the U.S. alone. They are the fifth highest selling music act in U.S. history and the highest selling American band in U.S. history."

Now that's what I call credentials. YEE-uh, SON!

5. "Lyin' Eyes"


If I told you I didn't like the Eagles, you would see in my eyes that I was lyin'. (Yeah...that was a stretch.)

6. "Desperado"

Why don't you "come to your senses" and see that they're amazing!

7. "Hotel California"


If you haven't heard this song, I have one question for you: How's living in that cave working out for ya?
Also, I have a distinct memory of singing the guitar parts of this song in their entirety in my 8th grade science class with my friend Kate...nothing can bond you with a song like such a fond memory. (The singing is a fond memory. Not the class.)

8. "Take it to the Limit"

The Eagles "take it to the limit"! ...Yeah, yep. 

9. "Victim of Love"


This is just a rockin' song. And people should really say "rockin" more.

10. "The Long Run"

All I can say is, in "the long run", the Eagles will always be my favorite band. Their music is timeless. I know this because when I went to their concert in 2009,  most of the people there were probably there to reminisce about their younger days, in the 1970's (if you didn't understand that, yeah, they were all older than me). And yes, this did make the concert feel somewhat weird to me. But do you think I care? NO! I was there for the music!

Before I get too overexcited, I'd better say goodbye.

Take it easy folks!

Mad Hatter? No thanks, I've got my basement

Last Monday was a magical day.

It all started when I unsuspectingly meandered down the stairs to my basement storage room to grab a sleeping bag for Young Women's camp. I slipped to the back of the room, and something hanging on the wall caught my eye - a hat. Not just a hat, though. This was a hat from the line of gas stations my grandpa used to own. My nostalgic, all-things-antique-magnet side got the better of me and I allowed myself to get distracted.

"Wow! I didn't know we had one of these!" I thought. I started looking around, realizing that there must be more where this came from...

An hour later, I had sorted through 3 trash bags full of old hats, and still had no sleeping bag.

Wait, let me rephrase that.

After an exciting hour of discovery, I had unearthed countless vintage articles of caps and trucker hats.

Seriously though, 3 trash bags full! I'm not even going to try to describe my findings. I'm just going to show you my favorites.

The awesomely vintage super sweet and sorta random hats that I will most definitely wear to school this year:

The hats that I'm wondering why they were ever made, even more why my dad or mom ever bought them, and most of all why we still have them:

And finally, the hats that there are just no words for:

Seriously though, what the heck is that furry thing on the front of that hat and WHY WHY WHY?!
Okay. Anyway.
How do I end this?
...
I like hats.

Nonsensical

Yeah. Yep. Uuuuh huh.
The bongo drum's in the apple tin
The dinosaur ends qualify begin
Puppy dog crenshaw onto blinds
Buttoned silly ate curtain rinds
Who now when for yes no what?
Pillowed gloomy rods in please
Whaling leaves on purple seas
But cars wash granite beating these
Tiring tires wheels lugnut space
Gazeebo donut dikes who lace.

Don't act like you understand some deep meaning here. There isn't one. In fact, it took more focus than you would think to be completely and utterly nonsensical. But sometimes it's somewhat remedial to accept a few things as nonsensical, since we constantly have to asses situations around us and make sense of what's going on. Then if we don't understand, it drives us insane. So here you go, you can thank me for your daily dose of utterly doesn't sense. Ha. Ha.

What do you think of when people say "find a happy place"?
Actually I don't think I've ever really done that.
But if I had to choose my very own personal "happy place", it would definitely be the sparkling, balmy, scenic Lake Powell.
I LOVE THIS PLACE.
Man-made freshwater body-haters tell me to go jump in a lake. And I say, "Fine. In fact, that's what I've been wanting to do all summer."
As a matter of fact, I'm going there tomorrow. No big deal. Oh, wait, it IS a big deal. Because it's possibly my favorite place in the world!
And I'm not really going to tell you why. You have to go there yourself and see how marvelous it is with your own eyes. And feel it with your feet on a wakeboard or on the edge of a red-rock cliff. And taste it when you eat food that can only taste that good when you're BOATING hungry, not just normal hungry. And smell it when...okay there aren't any wonderful smells. But trust me, it's amazing. (For maximum enjoyment: if possible, stay on a houseboat and have access to a ski/wakeboard boat).
And now I'll add the next songs on my summer playlist. Since we're talking about the beautiful lake of Powell, I'll put up a couple songs that remind me of it. Anyone who went to Powell with me last year will remember these as being the theme songs of the whole trip. Ah, that was fun.
1. "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel
Ah, the 80's...if you haven't already heard me say how much I love 80's music videos, here's me saying, "I love 80's music videos".



2. "Listen to Your Heart" by DHT
This video is all artsy and modern...not nearly as entertaining. But the song's good. :)



Peace out sauer kraut!