Category: misc

gift cards

Call it crazy, call it lazy, call it what you will, but this Christmas for the Blundell/Knotts/Oyler Family Christmas we’re doing our annual Chinese gift exchange (why it’s a Chinese one – who knows) again. Basically it’s similar to a White Elephant gift exchange but it’s hopefully gifts people want – rather than don’t want.

So because we have so many different interests now in our family we decided to go with gift cards as the theme. We also hope it will make things easier for my grandparents so they won’t have to do as much shopping.

I’m thinking it should be interesting to see what gift cards folks bring and which ones they walk home with. It will be interesting to see how many people take their own gift card home.

And yes, I know Christmas is about giving but for those of you who keep asking where I’d want a gift card too, here are some of my tops…

Amazon.com (see above)
Lowes
Home Depot
Target
Best Buy

There you go. I hope you and yours are enjoying the season and you are truly blessed with all God has done this year – I know I am.

Re: Google releases Streetview Dallas

Man to get hit by trolley
Looks like someone’s doing some work – on a ladder – in the middle of the street – with a trolley headed right towards him! Yikes. And yes, this is the same trolley system Laurie and I rode on our first date. (funny thing though – if you try to go SW the car disappears)
View

Another trolley car nearby
View

Hard Rock – Dallas
View
Well used to be anyways

The house Laurie lived in
When we first met
View

The Granada
Where I’ve spent many nights watching movies and eating way too much food
View

Snuffers
Again – way too many nights, eating way too much food. MMMMmmmm cheddar fries
View

The Red Jacket
The former spot of one of Jack Ruby’s old clubs
View

re: 18 Hours of Christmas Music

If you just need a quick Christmas music fix, head over to NPR for the 18th annual A Jazz Piano Christmas. An hour of amazing live jazz Christmas music.

Which speaking of Christmas jazz, I forgot to mention the Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack as one of my favorites.

The 18th annual A Jazz Piano Christmas, recorded live at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., features three great pianists who have each been shaping the sound of jazz for more than half a century. Dr. Billy Taylor, Hank Jones and Barry Harris spin their original solo takes on the holiday songbook.

Here’s the lineup:

* “The Little Drummer Boy” — Andrew Hill (from A Jazz Piano Christmas XIII)
* “Merry Christmas” — Billy Taylor
* “The Christmas Song” — Billy Taylor
* “Winter Wonderland” — Joey DeFrancesco
* “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” — Joey DeFrancesco
* “White Christmas” — Barry Harris
* “We Three Kings” — Hank Jones
* “Good King Wenceslas” – Hank Jones
* “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” — Hank Jones & Roberta Gambarini
* “Silent Night” — Hank Jones & Roberta Gambarini
* “Jingle Bells” — All Artists (Taylor, DeFrancesco, Harris, Jones, Gambarini)

Enjoy!

18 hours of Christmas music

What does an NPR music critic do when he’s flooded with Christmas music every year? He traps his family in the car and plays each of the 21 CDs – 18 hours worth.

I’ve always enjoyed hearing new Christmas music, but there’s just so much of it. Every fall, I receive dozens of new holiday CDs — countless hours of music to sift through in the long, agonizing buildup to Christmas.
This year, shortly before Thanksgiving, I decided to save them all for one epic binge during a 1,000-mile road trip to see family — to be captivated by the holiday spirit while held literally captive.
Pulling out of the driveway, I started — as one does — with A Swingin’ Christmas, by Michael Bolton. And thus began 18 of the longest hours of my life. Bolton’s “swingin’ Christmas” was my “ploddin’ Christmas,” a tensely endured soundtrack for a holiday hellride through D.C. traffic.

Stephen Thompson reviews all 21 albums for your enjoyment online.

Or if you’re interested here are some of my Christmas favs…

  1. Kenny G: Miracles: The Holiday Album – I might get punched in the face for this one, but nothing says Christmas like Kenny G! The first Christmas wishes/bumpers I ever recorded for radio used this album for my music bed. “Merry Christmas KEOM listeners. I’m Jonathan Blundell, taking this moment to wish you and your’s a very Merry Christmas. One of my favorite memories of Christmas….”
  2. Arbuckle Indians: It’s an Arbuckle Indian Christmas – not a well known group or album, although they did have a run up the Christmas charts at Mp3.com a few years back. You might be able to track down a CD copy of the album if you know the right folks.
  3. Various: Happy Christmas – Tooth and Nail artists share their own rendition of new and old Christmas songs. The entire collection is great and only one step behind A Very Special Christmas
  4. Various: A Very Special Christmas – it’s Christmas time in Hollis Queens. Doesn’t get much better than that other than U2 singing a cover of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
  5. Bebo Norman, Allen Levi, Ed Cash: Joy – I can’t tell you where my original copy of this CD is, but the tracks I still have as Mp3 are worth a listen year round.
  6. Trans Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Eve and Other Stories – one of my favorites since it’s release in 1996. It doesn’t get much better than Christmas Eve Sarajevo. And who would have thought Laurie would have already started an annual tradition of seeing the band live every Christmas when they come to Dallas. Awesome.

What’s on your top list?

Re: Google releases Street View Dallas

Not that the picture in and of itself is spectacular – but here’s the spot where Laurie and I got engaged.
View

You can barely make it out in this pic, but there’s a bench there which is where it all took place.

And here’s Cafe Brazil.
View
One of my favorite hangouts in Dallas. Surprised my cars not there – granted it’s not normally there till after dark.