Painful old age!

She's gone and done it. Yes, she's turned it completely officially to a chick-blog. And not just that, she's done it while managing to compliment her 'man' to boot. Life can be quite un-understandable (won't incomprehensible be a better word?) sometimes. I did promise myself that I'll only spend on paragraph on the topic though - so if you read anything else related to the matter in a later paragraph just imagine that you are reading it here. Comprehende?!

I do think I'm getting senile at the ripe out age of about 3-0 (by the way 0-3 is going to be the scoreline when next my dear Arsenal takes to the pitch - Arsenal of course playing away from home). You see, lately, I've had the privilege of reviewing the direction of my choices and they are - what shall we say - 'unambitious in a innocuous way' (ha! see big english). It's true that I've never had a "the-artist-formerly-known-as-snoop-dogg" album in my collection but most recent additions are beginning to push the limit of gentility - Sarah Groves, Audrey Assad, Corrinne May, etc. There have been some jazz - Madeleine Peyroux, Sophie Milman - and some instrumental - Maya Filipic, Kendra Springer - but even those have definitely been on the mellow side. I think the most noisy songs in my collection are slowly becoming the Take 6 ones (I kid, you know). But seriously apart from that Cake song about "long skirts and short jackets" and maybe a few Sixpence Non the Richer (Stephen Curtis Chapman, Third Day, etc) songs there's not much I can hold my hand up in pride about when it comes to pure unadulterated noise.

Read into that last paragraph what you will. I got tired writing it sef - yes, writing about me is making me tired - GO FIGURE! Nope, it's not that time of the month - Quemi has made it perfectly clear that you can't guess correctly when it comes to that. But I've been up to my normal tricks there sha. It's only now that I think about it I realize I've mentally shelved the last 2 dates in the month when it was that time of the Month for the Mrs. and I blame Quemi for it. Speaking of Quemi, did I mention that she's responsible for the new design of this blog? For years - yes, years - I was prodding happily along with a white background and black text. This year I got very adventurous and changed the font around a little. And boy, did I feel good?! But Quemi had to have her say. Boy, did she have her say. Of course, since we all know that her husband (he of the much acclaimed 'man-of-my-dreams' post) scares me I don't need to go into why this new look will have to stay. At this rate though I'll might have to pack shop and go begging for some other blog to park my rants on. Now that I think about it I realize that I don't haveknow any male friends of mine that blog. Maybe, they all blog anonymously like I try to do here. Even that is likely to change soon - Quemi's expressed her desire to post the url to this blog on her facebook page (Q-U-E-M-I that's how you spell good times?).

For about a week now, I've been reading Stephen King's "The Stand". Now that is a good book but don't go reading it on my account if you are susceptible to night mares o (I no send you message). Seriously, for the past few days I've been sleeping at midnight only because I know that if I stayed up all night I won't be able to finish the book anyway and I had to be up for work at 6.30am. It just occurred to me, though, that I could have called in sick (damn!). Is it just me or were all his earlier books actually quite thick on biblical-ish themes? The last 3 King books I've read (Salem's lot, Desperation and now The Stand), apart from been "spooky" at times, have all had strong "bible-ish" themes (let's just cut to the chase and legalize the conjugation of nouns to adjectives with the use of '-ish' - wait, isn't that already the case?). So the book. It's junk! I'm addicted. I love it. I'm not the smartest one around now, am I?!

It's kinda like how bible study yesterday was meant to be about "Homosexualism". I'm like "please people don't waste my time I'm not coming". I know what I think (don't always do what I think though) the bible says on the subject - which is that it's a sin! So what's the point in reiterating it especially since I suspect the discussion would have no bearing on my salvation - at least not directly. I've been around 30-odd years (yes, I know you are beginning to get fed up with me bragging about my age but that's not going to stop me) and I now consider myself an old timer (I've read enough books to know I'm wrong there). So like all good old timers I'm going to stop wasting my time and yours with this pointless discussion on straight or gay dudes. Now, on the question of gay babes (I can see Meg pointing me to the couch if I continue so at this point I rest my case) - no comments! Seriously, folks how about we stop rationalizing God (big word alert - anthropomorphism). He isn't accountable to any of us and he isn't a MAN. If He says He is not cool with something then obviously it means He is not cool with it - regardless of how strongly we may or may not feel about the said 'something'. Yes, we all have free will. But should God's will also be subject to what my free will decides to be right or wrong? Say it with me people - NO!

Let's see... what else is there to talk about? O yeah, I stumbled upon a atoday.com article about how to keep the sabbath earlier this week. I scrolled down to the comments section where I saw a couple of readers having a good go at each other about the relevance or irrelevance of keeping the day. Now what I don't get (and maybe this is me been senile again) is why someone that obviously doesn't give two hoots about the relevance of the day would waste his time getting himself all worked up by reading the article from top to bottom and then waste more of his (and now my time) pouring out his angst at the evil that he perceived was done to him by his reading the article in the comments section. Freedom is just so abused in this country now it's unbelieveable. Any way, let's let that go now, shall we?!

I wish I could end this blog on a high but I've been almost morbidly moody all week. I blame my guilt at how I've spent my nights not sleeping, and then on the actual physical impact of not sleeping all of  which in turn I blame on Stephen King. Wait, now I sound like that guy I just wrote about in the previous paragraph - talk about beams, specks, and eyes!

Olufunmi - ish

The last time I was in 9ja, I went out shopping for 9ja music - you know like Lara George. After walking around for a while I finally ask one of the CD hawkers specifically for Lara George-ish artists and the guy said - in geek speak - error! It reminds me of how when I was about to leave 9ja in 2006, I went about looking for Olufunmi's "Go Quick" CD. You see, I had the tape and if cassette players could complain that cassette would have force the issue. Needless to say I didn't find the CD. I think there's probably like one or two artists every year that come out with really good quality stuff gospel wise - like that one year when it was Midnight Crew and the other one when it was Infinity. I liked Estar (of the Chinwe Ike fame) too. She reminds me of Sixpence none the richer's Leigh Nash - and on that note I think she solo album was a disappointment.

Anyway I was finally forced coerced into singing a special song in Church some days back - cue more hair pulling and heart wrenching. I first decided on Sanctus Real's "Whatever you are doing" or Brian McKnight's "home" - lofty dreams I know but at least the fact that I live in the land of dreams has to count for something. But Qemi felt "Home" was too R 'n' B - ish (which brings up the issue of why do I listen to her sef?) and I wasn't feeling the former song on my guitar. Eventually I settled for Olufunmi's "Oluwa oni dehin". I say settle in the sense that once it was impressed on my mind there was no going back - I can be impulsive sometimes. It's sad how hard it is to find somewhere to buy her songs (the fact that styl-plus has a song called Olufunmi doesn't help) online. Anyway I wrote out the words of the song as I heard them and I figured I'll share it here in case anyone needs them. There's also a link to Olufunmi's original version. I think she sings it in C# or so... but I played in it D. When I get the time I'll update the lyrics with the chords and maybe even upload my pitiful cover of the song. The cool thing about singing in church is that you are singing for/to God and if you give it your best shot He appreciates it regardless :)

Intro:
Oluwa oni dehin lehin mi o
Ewo ni mo gbojule
Ewo ni mo fihinti
la to wuro titi d'ale
Oluwa oni dehin lehin mi o

Verse 1
bi mo ba ji
bi mo ji lowuro
ma k'aleluya
patewo yin baba l'ogo
ma'a mura fun se
ise ojo mi
ti n'ba ti jade
ma k'aleluya fun baba
to ba mi se

Chorus:
Baba ba mi se
Oni se iyanu
Titi ra ye ra ye
ni mo ma yin o o Baba
Baba ba mi se
Oni se iyanu
Titi ra ye ra ye
ni mo ma yin o o Baba

Verse 2:
bi mo ba se de b'ise
ma'a yin o o Baba
gbogbo ohun t'o da l'aye
lo fi tan ona mi Jesu
ohun ko hun ti'n ba se laye mi
ma fi yin o l'ogo
ti mo ba ti wa pari ise mi
ma k'aleluya fun Baba
to ba mi se

CHORUS
INTERLUDE

Verse 3:
Mo tun pa da de le
Ogo ni fun oruko re
O wa wa pe lu mi
bi mo se n se to idi le
O wa pelu mi l'aro l'osan
 ti ti d'ale
Kin to lo sun
ma k'aleluya fun Baba

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Outro:
Oluwa oni dehin lehim mi o

Mostly Harmless...

I'll be honest here and start by saying that it's been a mighty long time since I think I honestly kept the sabbath holy. I'll go even further to say that the last time I kept it holy, I probably only just managed to do so by sleeping through the afternoon. I like the sabbath. I think that sometimes I live for it. For one thing, I don't work on the sabbath - No Way!. I also don't read or do school work on the sabbath. I only do fun stuff on the sabbath: to go church and get spiritually recharged, go for a walk, go watch soccer highlights, catch a movie or two at home... did you get the punchline?

Anyhow, I like to think that I'm honest with myself. The thing that scares me the most in life is living a lie (isn't there a Brian McKnight song that uses the phrase 'living a lie'?). I like to think that I'm honest with myself about what I want and what I do. Life is short and I really don't want to spend any part of it making sure that my story stays straight across multiple time-lines. Plus, I'm a little shyreserved, really. I like to write... it helps me clear my head. I think I'm trying to clear my head tonight. I need to plan for the work week - that's something I do on the sabbath. I like to spend time working through my week and committing each step to God ahead of time. I've never successfully planned a week ahead before though. So it's really always been a pipe dream. In fact lately, I've found myself doing more dreaming than actual planning.

I know the things I want to do. Like Paul, though, those are the very things that I do not do (pauses to go look for the bible verse. Let's hope I can come back in one piece). The later part of Romans 7 is Paul at his ecclesiastical best - so I won't say more. I can hear the song "turn your eyes upon Jesus" in my head, though. It's a beautiful song. "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace". Another hymn I really like is "Grace, Grace, God's grace... grace that is greater than all our sins".

I like good songs. Thank God for music.

Dead, Crazy or Doin' Time...

Edit: I wrote this about 2 weeks ago while in 9ja on vacation.

It's been like forever, literally, since I last blogged. I could give all the excuses on earth for not blogging but they'll just be that - excuses. In fact, when it's all said and done the reality would just be that lately, I've not considered journaling/blogging as important compared to other stuff in my life. Now considering my penchant (am I using the word right?) for not prioritizing the things in my life properly this shouldn't come as a surprise. I think I just gave an excuse too... shoot!

Not a lot has happened in the past 4 months - ok, I lie! I was talking with my grandpa a few minutes ago and he spoofed at Tunde Bakare's insinuation that Nigeria won't remain the same if Buhari didn't win the last elections. We both laughed cos Pastor Bakare was right - each decision obviously changes the future one way or the other. Ok, I'm not sure how we got to talking about choices and different paths but since we are here I might as well mention that I've watched almost all 3 seasons of Sliders on Hulu in the past 2 weeks - parallel universes, multiple space-time continuum, lots of fun. To be honest though, I think I'm partly watching it because I want to see if Quinn and Wade ever get their shit together (code word for make out, kiss, kiss, hug, hug, xoxoxoxo, blah, blah, blah). I realize this all doesn't really point to much that has changed in my life so I'll close this paragraph and hope that the next offers more intelligence... and direction.

I've been listening to a whole lot of Jazz this year (Quick advice - never listen to Miles Davis at work if you are a programming or do some other mentally tasking job). I got like 3 or 4 new jazz CDs and then some so far this year... Sophie Milman's rendition of Eli, Eli was enough to get me to buy her album. I can't say I regretted the decision. Then there was the Diane Kroll album that I got because she's more traditional and she's quite popular - in other words, I had no clue what I was doing or why I was doing what I was doing when I got her album. The only thing I'm sure about is that I got it on the cheap. Then just out of the blue and because I remember that they'd done some collaboration with Take 6 in the past, I decided to buy a Yellow Jackets album a month or two ago. Now I'm crossed between going out there and getting some more of their work and sampling the album I got a little more. I've loved the album I got so much I've been kicking myself for not getting their album earlier.
I've also been listening to more R & B -ish gospel. I wonder why Onitsha never released a second album - she's got the pipes and maybe she's not as main stream, CCM-wise, as say Mendissa but I'd say talent wise she's aight. I've actually never listened to a complete Mendissa album - hint: I actually thought Mendissa was caucasian (how else do you expect me to explain that KISS FM was always playing 'voice of the saviour' and that other station that features the Yolanda Adams morning show wasn't?). Any way, I think I'm kinda looking for an R & B act to replace 'Virtue'. I never felt like 'Virtue' ever captured the promise of their first album. That album in my opinion is still their best till date. Don't get me wrong o. They've got lots of good material on their other albums but that first... now that was pure gold all through. One valid candidate would be Karima Kibble's album or just going with the flow and getting Trinitee's new album (what's the word on Trinitee becoming a group of 2 instead of 3 now sef?) - anything to avoid getting Kiki's album. Here's one place where procastination can be bliss - spending money on music albums!

Thanks to Kafo, I added Mary Beth Chapman's "Choosing to see" to my to buy/to read list a few months back. Now before you get all excited, please realize that list includes "Rebels for the Cause" and quite a few other either Arsenal or Sci-Fi related material. Anyhow, since I don't have a list of books written down somewhere (I stopped using/visiting livingsocial a long time back) I tend to forget the books on my list when I'm ready to go shopping. Anyway, I finally bought C. S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters", "Choosing to see" by Chapman, and "Life without limits". I'm on the 10th letter in Screwtape Letters. I've got to say I totally love Lewis' writing style in the book. It's kinda like what I aspire to be if I were a writer (thankfully I have no such illusions) - tedious, comma-infested, interjection infused, and totally pedantic (I concede that the book is pedantic probably because of the subject matter). Seriously, though, it's really good material. I love it. Now if only I could get myself to read the bible like so.

I like today's blog. I said a whole lot of nothing and it's been fun. I read somewhere that it's those discussions about, and sharing of, the little unimportant stuffs that keeps relationships going. So when I call my girlfriend, sometimes, we just end up playing that ridiculous game of say a 'I say word and you sing me a song that uses the word'. Thankfully she can hold a note where I can't - I kid. So Meg and I have decided to 'maybe' get married early next year. It's scary but it's about time too. When I asked her out I told her I wanted to marry her someday and I meant it... I still do. The scary part is knowing that I'm not perfect and that now I'm in a much better position to hurt her emotionally than I was say 1 year ago. The scary part is knowing that as undeserving as I am she loves me. I've been thinking about how much of 'falling in love' is similar to the type of relationship God wants to have with us. I'm a mix between realistic and optimistic with a nice touch of melancholy and romantic - I think. I'm not terrible good at long term planning but ask me to plan the next 5 minutes of my life and I'll tell you the worst that can happen, the best that can happen and all the reasons why you should throw all caution to the wind and expect the best to happen in the next 5 minutes. Tell me to do the same for a 48 hour period and my brain goes into overdrive and practically crashes. Anyhow, Meg and I spend so much time on the phone - mostly with nothing serious to talk about and it makes me appreciate a little more what having a relationship with God entails. It's being willing to and actually enjoying sharing even the most minute and mundane details of our lives with Him - every chance we've got.

Okay, someone needs to bring my feet back to to the ground... Seriously :D