Land of the Free... and the MP3

Did you know that there are a TON of free tunes available from Amazon for your listening pleasure? Ninety-five percent of the offerings are new and upcoming artists, which is kind of fun, because then you can say, "Yeah, I was a fan before they were famous." Some of the songs are fabulous, others are so-so and many I regret having bothered listening to the sample. That's 30 seconds my poor assailed ears will never forgive me for.

So, I have scoured literally hundreds of free MP3's on Amazon and found these hidden gems. I realize that our tastes will differ, but if you happen to like any of my choices, you may be inspired to go on an MP3 Scavenger Hunt of your own. And PS, I was searching for new tunes to add to my workout list on my iPod, so these first few songs are in order from warm-up to cool down for a 1 hour workout. It's a mix of alternative, rock and pop. Enjoy and Happy 4th of July!

1. Morning Thought by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Coyote by The Lonely Forest
3. Always Spring by I'm From Barcelona **
   
4. Alive by Avalon
5. When It Won't Save You by Conditions
6. Up Up Up by Givers
7. Chapters by Kyoto Drive
8. The Last Ride by Soldout
9. Gimme Sympathy by Metric
10. Eliza by Viper Creek Club
11. Quake by Balance and Composure
12. The End of Progression by Conditions
13. Hannah by Freelance Whales
14. God and Girl by Red Goodbye
15. Second Bird of Paradise by The Rosebuds
16. Forever My Father by Go Radio

Other New Favorites

1. Wolf & I by Oh Land ** (for The Twilight Fan)
   
2. Traveling by Brian Olive
   
3. Rebound (Remastered) by Sebadoh
4. Endless Summer by Still Corners
5. Built to Last by Redlight King (Inspiring Rock Fan)
   
6. Hunt Hunt Hunt by There for Tomorrow (Fall Out Boy Fan)
   
7. Please Ask for Help by Telekinesis (for The Cure Fan)
   

Sometimes a song is just so fabulous that not long after it's available for free, Amazon starts charging for it. I just downloaded all of these songs in the last week, but in providing the links, I have found a couple that are no longer free, but still worth checking out. They're marked with a **. Oh the pains of popularity. So hurry and snag the ones you like because they might not be free tomorrow!

It's On!!

Okay, so I know you've heard it before, but this time, it's going to happen! It has to. I'm on a deadline!

I have struuuuuuggled with losing weight for the last two years and since finding out last August that I'm gluten intolerant (though I'm inclined to think Celiac due to the other health issues I've had) my body is finally on board with losing weight too. Woot! I never thought we'd agree.

So, I've been going to the gym 4-5 times a week taking Zumba, spinning and weight classes. Why the sudden motivation? Well, Jim and I finally set the date and we're going to Puerto Vallarta for our 10-year anniversary in August. I've never been to Mexico and so we're both really excited. We're staying in a 5 start all inclusive resort and planning to do a couple of excursions while we're there. I'm really excited for the Outdoor Adventure and Dolphin Experience.

Anyway, on top of eating really well and working out at the gym, I was reading Fitness magazine the other day and they did a write up on great 90 day workout plans. Of course, most people have heard of P90X but most of us can't afford it. As a budget buy, Fitness recommended trying out the Supreme 90 Day System, which is similar to P90X. Not willing to just take their word for it, I looked it up on Amazon for reviews. I was impressed. Ten people gave it 5 stars and one person gave it 4 stars, and that's as low as it went. For $20, I figured it was worth checking out.

So, I stopped by Target the other day and picked up my own dvd set. Granted, I don't have 90 days, only 60, but hey, every little bit helps right? I'll let you know how I like it in case you're interested in trying it out. I'll keep you posted. Afterall, my super cute new bikini needs to be seen and not covered up with a parka.

My Interview with a Stanley Cup Winner

The Stanley Cup winners have been announced and while I wasn't rooting for either team in particular (well, maybe the Canucks a little, but only so I wouldn't have to listen to Hubs bitch about his team losing), I am happy for one player: Andrew Ference.

Andrew plays defense for the Boston Bruins and is a former Winter Hawk (our local team). Back in high school, I was introduced to the game of hockey and loved it. I had a writing assignment to do for my English class, and we were asked to pick any topic and interview someone about it and my friend Kara Neary jokingly said I should interview a Winter Hawk. We laughed it off, but I kept dwelling on it and really wanted to do it. In all honesty, I chose Andrew because he was a rookie, a good player and the same age as me. And let's face it, he's pretty damn cute. Even back then.

I was surprised to get a call from him saying he'd be willing to meet with me. So I wrote up some questions, grabbed a friend to video tape it and met him on the bleachers at Sunset High School. Wow, so cute. Very gracious and fun to interview. I have no idea what ever happened to the video, which kind of sucks; I'm sure it was taped over by my parents, but I have the transcript of the interview. Here are some of the highlights...

Q: How long have you been playing?
A: Since I was three. I lived on an acreage and we had a rink out by the farms, so I started there.

Q: Did you always want to play hockey?
A: (Shakes head yes) Always have played hockey. There's never been anything bad about it.

Q: What's it like being a local celebrity? (Andrew laughs) You don't consider yourself a celebrity?
A: No, I don't think I'd put it that way, it's just normal. We're just leading a normal life except for playing hockey. There's not too much difference from a normal life.

Q: What's the weirdest thing you ever had to autograph?
A: (Thinking) Let's see... probably a leg, a leg or a dollar bill. You get lots of dollar bills to sign, but a leg was weird. She had the whole teams' autographs all over her leg. (Laughs) You kind of think, 'whoa!'

Q: How does your mom feel about you fighting?
A: (Laughing) She doesn't like it. She hates it when I fight, but she knows why I do it. She knows that because I'm smaller I need to demand more respect. So she understands why I do, but she rather me not. I've never fought in front of her because she'd get all mad. When she's at a game, I won't fight.

Q: How many teeth have you lost?
A: None. My dad's a dentist. No, I haven't lost any. I've lucked out so far.

Q: What are your other interests?
A: Other interests? Um... there's gotta be something. I don't know. Hockey's a big interest. It takes up all my time. Other than that... let's see, I used to snowboard. I did that for seven years, up until this year. There's nowhere to snowboard here. During the summer I play rugby and lacrosse. So everything's kind of sports related.

Q: Do you want to continue with hockey or eventually do something else?
A: I'll go with hockey as far as it takes me. I'd like to go pro. There's so much money and so much involved in hockey. If you can play it and live off it, then that could be your life. Yeah, it'd be perfect.

Q: Did you ever think you'd make it this far?
A: Yeah. It's been the plan.

Q: What advice would you give someone who's striving for a dream?
A: Don't let people tell you that you can't do it. Lots of people told me that I couldn't play hockey because I'm small. Listen to yourself instead of others. Control your own destiny.

And there you have it. Who knew I would be interviewing a Stanley Cup winner at 16? Pretty cool huh?